I guess I should have elaborated. I think we are actually in agreement.

My reply to Valen meant don't even count on those numbers as being the threshold. For example Northgate has a higher threshold, meaning it can be louder in Northgate because they have a different standard.

It wouldn't surprise me if a data center had a higher threshold too

Wouldn't surprise me if the council changed that at the last minute

Independence H-D said:

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The fact that you are concerned about being chewed out by other members of council over informing the public of something that we should know about should concern you, greatly.

Concerns us even more.

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This is as big of a story as the proposed data center. It's evidence of a systemic problem at city hall.

100%

Valen said:

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City of College Station Noise Ordinance (Chapter 26-8)

An updated ordinance, Ordinance No. 2023-4472, amended Chapter 26, Section 26-8 to define enforceable noise limits:
Residential Daytime (7:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m.)
Single-family homes (measured from property line): Max 63 dB
Multi-unit residences (measured at interior wall): Max 55 dB
Residential Nighttime (10:01 p.m. 6:59 a.m.)
Single-family homes (from property line): Max 56 dB
Multi-unit residences (interior wall): Max 50 dB

A violation is deemed a nuisance, enforceable up to 5,000 feet beyond city limits, and is punishable by fines ranging from $25 to $500 (or up to $2,000 for fire safety, zoning, or sanitation-related offenses), with each day as a separate offense

Just did a quick Chat GPT punch in. Hope this helps.

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Those are the limits for noise generated from residential properties. The limits (if any) of what a light industrial zoned property can emit would be different. Noise limits are measured at the property line outbound. Noise levels drop 6 dB every time the distance doubles. So for example if it is 90 dB standing 5 feet away from the generator, you would expect it to be 84 at 10 ft, 78 at 20 ft, 72 at 40 ft, 66 at 80, etc. to get down to "whisper" level of 30 dB you would need to be a mile away in this example.

That's incredibly helpful, thank you.

There's a lot more to this than a google search, things have been said on here that people have experienced and it kind of flows with what COCS said, but it's still not true. There is much more to BES operation/planning than what people think they can find online. None of this is a good idea, and you can't negotiate with people who have no need of you, beyond what they can legally force you to do(pay taxes).

Been awhile since I posted here (attention has been taken up by life things)

But.... my concern is and always has been the cost and maintenance of infrastructure

Who is building the water supply to this facility and who is paying for the maintenance in and around this "data center"

Does their tax bill pay cover this? Or even more to the point does their utility consumption cover this, seeing as COCS runs a profit on CSU anyway.

Do they get a tax abatement - do they get a utility abatement - if they do not meet the "45" people threshold that means sales tax base line impact will be increased really only by the construction crews (provided they are out of town folks bringing fresh dollars)

Also, 45 jobs at what salary threshold(s).

I appreciate (as always) Bob's thoughts and concerns at the top of this thread but wayyyyyyyy too many unknowns to even form an opinion beyond just a gut feel.

Info drives operations, Air Force (bob) and right now, at least I do not have enough of it

Sorry I've been away from my computer / phone all afternoon handing out fliers to my neighborhood and the one next door, with a few friends, trying to raise awareness.

The city posting the agenda Friday after 4 pm, and having this as the last agenda item for this Thursday sure looks a certain way, doesn't it?

The 30 second blurb Rusty had on KBTX Friday at 10 was pathetic. It's not even on their website. He said that the City Council would not allow the public to comment on this at the Thursday meeting, which is patently false.

I don't want to believe that our news media is in kahoots, but if it quacks like a duck….

I think they will approve this against the wishes of everyone then waste the $30m on a convention center. We as citizens will not be allowed to vote on either project.

There is zero reason for this data center to be in the middle of College Station. There is also no reason for us to build a convention center as that can be done privately if there is enough need.

Just say no to all the projects as the city council and staff are not competent to make these decisions.

believe it...

beyond clear to anyone who pays attention local media is a farce

I have not seen a "negative" or investigative story by anyone around here in years.

Something bad happens, you get a quick story and then it goes away.

Promises made and promises not only not kept but this is a slap to the face of the promises made. When will yall start caring more about the residents that live around there than the almighty dollar. Are you telling me you can't find other ways to create more than 45 full time jobs with 200 acres? It's called Midtown for a reason its pretty much the center of town and yall want to ruin it with a data center? You can't be serious! Hey maybe you can put a jogging trail around the huge warehouse and no one will notice it. If you do this you will never be able to grow that area of town and you will lose out on just about as much or more revenue for things that can actually add beauty and benefit your actual citizens. Find them some more land on the outskirts of town like literally every other city, not make it the centerpiece of your city. This makes me sick.

dubi said:

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I think they will approve this against the wishes of everyone then waste the $30m on a convention center. We as citizens will not be allowed to vote on either project.

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Nailed It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Craig Regan 14 said:

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believe it...

beyond clear to anyone who pays attention local media is a farce

I have not seen a "negative" or investigative story by anyone around here in years.

Something bad happens, you get a quick story and then it goes away.

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Facts. The silence is deafening on every single issue that EVER comes up. Even the Macy's debacle... Crickets.

Seems to me some you guys, and you know who you are, that are being critical of Bob Yancy owe him an apology. He's doing his best to be up front, open, and listening to his constituents. He's doing what all our elected officials should be doing even if we don't always agree on all their decisions. I'd rather have decisions made out in the open than behind closed doors.

Thank you Bob Yancy!

Reel Aggies said:

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Promises made and promises not only not kept but this is a slap to the face of the promises made. When will yall start caring more about the residents that live around there than the almighty dollar. Are you telling me you can't other ways to create more than 75 full time jobs with 200 acres? It's called Midtown for a reason its pretty much the center of town and yall want to ruin it with a data center? You can't be serious! Hey maybe you can put a jogging trail around the huge warehouse and no one will notice it. If you do this you will never be able to grow that area of town and you will lose out on just about as much or more revenue for things that can actually add beauty and benefit your actual citizens. Find them some more land on the outskirts of town like literally every other city not make it the centerpiece of your city This makes me sick.

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Are you telling me you can't other ways to create more than 75 full time jobs with 200 acres? It's called Midtown for a reason its pretty much the center of town and yall want to ruin it with a data center?

Stated perfectly.

Aggieland Proud said:

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Seems to me some you guys, and you know who you are, that are being critical of Bob Yancy owe him an apology. He's doing his best to be up front, open, and listening to his constituents. He's doing what all our elected officials should be doing even if we don't always agree on all their decisions. I'd rather have decisions made out in the open than behind closed doors.

Thank you Bob Yancy!

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He's the best hope we have as a city.

For those College Station residents that would like to contact your council members to let them how you feel about this proposal, below are their contact information:

Place 1 Mark Smith msmith@cstx.gov
Place 2 William Wright wwright@cstx.gov
Place 3 David White dwhite@cstx.gov
Place 4 Melissa McIlhaney mcilhaney@cstx.gov
Place 5 Bob Yancy byancy@cstx.gov
Place 6 Scott Shafer sshafer@cstx.gov

And don't forget to include: Mayor John Nichols jnichols@cstx.gov

They all work for the city manager.

I think Bob is looking out for us.

KBTX is stepping up with a post by Rusty.

First, let me say that I really appreciate Mr. Yancy's open dialogue on TexAgs. Continuously he has surfaced many important issues that are of interest to residents, and he has promoted robust and provocative exchanges. I'm also thankful for his post last week outlining what the College Station City Council will consider this Thursdaya vote to consummate a deal to sell a city-owned parcel of land for a huge data center or Bitcoin mine in the Midtown area? (Lots of wild speculation about the buyer in various neighborhood forums and here on TexAgs.)

If Mr. Yancy had not made the post, we'd probably not even be aware of the issue until it was a done deal. This whole situation warrants extra scrutiny, as this is no doubt one of the most significant decisions to be made by our City Council in recent history.

Today many voters who've been distracted by the start of school and football season are probably still totally in the dark about what's going on. Besides I don't really know of anyone who makes it a regular practice to read routine meeting agendas and notices.

Many are expressing concern about how the public has been excluded by the apparent "fast-tracking" of the vote on this property sale. In fact, our local media did not even cover the story until Mr. Yancy's post on TexAgs--- and then again when the required and obligatory City Council Meeting Notice and Agenda were posted.

Obviously, this has been discussed for many months at City Hall. Real estate negotiations can be tricky and confidential with NDA's and the like. But, it's different when a deal like this has so many long-range implications for each citizen, utility customer, and taxpayer. The key question is why has the public has been excluded from the process until the very last minute?

What we will witness on Thursday will be character-revealing about the true intentions of our individual council members and the mayor. Will they go ahead and vote to approve this without encouraging true public awareness about the issues involved? Or will they consider delaying the vote to allow our local citizens time to learn more about the specific plans for this site?

Leadership should mandate that citizens have the time to examine unbiased facts and to ask questions about the pros and cons that were enumerated in Mr. Yancy's original post? Pausing this vote would ensure everyone can fully vet and pressure test what's being proposed and the potential impacts on city revenue and the cost of providing utilities---not to mention the risks to our water and electricity availability.

If this project truly makes sense from a business standpoint for the buyers--- and for the City of College Station---no one should be afraid of transparency and pausing the vote to make sure citizens fully understand both the short-term and long-term implications.

Recent history demands the Council approach this in a measured and credible way to ensure due diligence by city staff, and that the interests of citizens are respected as part of the process.

There should be no surprises for anyone after the fact. Building trust, respect, openness, and accountability hang in the balance.

Spread the word and pack the house on Thursday for the meeting!

dubi said:

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KBTX is stepping up with a post by Rusty.

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That's just regurgitating what Bob posted. I'd like a deeper dive into the shenanigans at the Texas Ave Taj Mahal.

Hey Rusty! Since you're reading this….

Just FYI… the residents *can* speak at the council meeting on this on Thursday. They have to register with the city secretary to do so.

You said Friday we could not.

A KBTX article says it an executive session and there will be no public comment.

https://www.kbtx.com/2025/09/07/college-station-city-council-discuss-potential-data-center-midtown-drive-sept-11-meeting/

They have to vote on it publicly.

True.

This was more in response to the pack the house comment. Really wondering if it makes a difference because I honestly feel like our council and mayor do not care about the residents.

Rusty posted this on his FB from a nearby HOA. Looks like Mr.Yancy will attend and answer questions at a Town Hall tomorrow evening.

I don't see the point of having city council candidates claim a political party. They're all supposedly in the same one. Even though they don't list it on that ballot, whenever any of them have run for other offices, they're Republican. If they had to declare earlier, wouldn't that mean we wouldn't even have a choice or it'd all be in the primary? I'm not sure how that goes since we've always had those positions nonpartisan and I can't remember any city council elections in other places I've lived, but I think that if you had multiple people from the same party, they couldn't all be on the general election ballot for the same seat. As is, we get a tiny bit of choice, but it'd be good if they had to state how they felt about certain issues like convention centers, the city buying real estate, restrictions on housing (although I guess that's not really allowed anymore), property taxes, etc.

If it's such a great deal and profitable to build a data center, why can Prioity Power purchase the property directly from the owner and build the data center? Why does the city have to be the middleman and also the entity holding another huge vacant building if the tenant closes shop after a year or two?

Obviously, PP wants to transfer the risk from themselves to the city AND to the citizens of the city,

The city should totally stay out of the way of private enterprise's decisions to operate inside the city,

Sounds to me there is an effort for the city to assist the landowner who is setting on and paying property taxes on non-income producing property,

aggiepaintrain said:

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Are our city leaders this naive? What other cities would sell prime real estate right in the middle of town TO A DATA CENTER? Might as well be a nuclear waste site.

99% of the citizens would be against this. If not more.

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Preach!

If you want, include the City Managers office.
Cmo@cstx.gov

woodiewood1 said:

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If it's such a great deal and profitable to build a data center, why can Prioity Power purchase the property directly from the owner and build the data center? Why does the city have to be the middleman and also the entity holding another huge vacant building if the tenant closes shop after a year or two?

Obviously, PP wants to transfer the risk from themselves to the city AND to the citizens of the city,

The city should totally stay out of the way of private enterprise's decisions to operate inside the city,

Sounds to me there is an effort for the city to assist the landowner who is setting on and paying property taxes on non-income producing property,

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The city currently owns the land and PP wants to buy it from them for $30M. The vote on Thursday is for the city to decide whether to take their offer.

aggiepaintrain said:

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I think Bob is looking out for us.

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Maybe I missed it, did he ever post that he was voting no?

Build it at Rellis next to the nuclear reactor.