The Prosper Planning and Zoning Commission is set to consider an application for Project Tomahawk, a data center proposed for 37.3 acres near the intersection of FM 1385 and Parvin Road.
White Rose Partners, the developer behind the proposal, wants to rezone the property from agricultural uses to a planned development that would allow a data center to be built on the land.
After being removed from the commission’s Aug. 18 agenda, consideration of Project Tomahawk has been rescheduled to Sept. 1, according to town documents.
A closer look
The proposed facility is roughly 225,000 square feet and would occupy about 20% of the property, said David Hoover, Prosper’s director of Development Services.
When reviewing the project, town staff’s biggest concerns were:
- Power consumption
- Water use
- Noise generation
- Traffic
The center will be designed to mitigate power demands, water use and noise generated by the center, according to a website published by the developers.
The proposed data center is next to a Brazos Electric Power Cooperative substation, and the developers will pay for any necessary upgrades incurred by the data center’s usage, according to the website.
Project Tomahawk will also use a closed-loop design to limit water usage, and the project will include sound-dampening screens and greenery as part of the project’s proposed development standards, per the website.
On an annual basis, the data center is expected to use roughly half the amount of water as a typical single-family home in Prosper, Hoover said.
Town staff expect the proposed data center to generate less traffic than other possible uses.
Project Tomahawk would have 20-50 total full-time employees with working hours spread over multiple shifts to keep the facility running 24/7, Hoover said.
“You have the traffic that’s created by 20 people coming and going,” he said. “The amount of traffic that is generated is going to be pretty small.”
How we got here
The commission was originally set to consider Project Tomahawk at an Aug. 18 meeting.
The project was removed to allow town staff more time to gather information about the proposal, according to prior reporting.
“Data centers attract a lot of publicity,” Hoover previously told Community Impact. “We’re just making sure that we’ve got all the information to be able to assess the facts accurately.”
White Rose Partners commissioned engineering studies related to the potential noise, power and water impacts of Project Tomahawk and cited excerpts in their application.
After using the additional time to review those studies in full, town staff put Project Tomahawk back on the commission’s agenda, Hoover said.
What they’re saying
Since the proposal for Project Tomahawk was first announced, town staff have received 34 comments in opposition and one comment in support, Hoover said.
Of the 34 comments opposed to the project, 11 were from Prosper residents. Other comments came from residents of neighboring cities like Celina, Aubrey and Little Elm, he said.
How it works
Initial conversations between White Rose Partners and town staff about building a data center in Prosper began 3-4 months ago, Hoover said.
In the planning and zoning process, town staff are responsible for helping applicants make sure their proposals meet the town’s zoning requirements.
For most projects, including Project Tomahawk, neither the Planning and Zoning Commission nor Prosper Town Council sees the application until it is placed on a meeting agenda, he said.
Notices to property owners within 200 feet of the proposed rezoning were mailed on Aug. 21 in accordance with state law. There are no homes within 200 feet of the proposed Project Tomahawk site, Hoover said.
The commissioners will review Project Tomahawk and provide their recommendation to council, which will make the final decision to approve or deny the project.
