Eight hours. 130 speakers. Denied at 2:14 AM.

2022 — Ongoing

Central Texas drought deepens — Edwards Aquifer hits historic lows

Hays County enters a multi-year drought that grows in severity. The Edwards Aquifer, the primary water source for the region, drops to historic lows. At least 14 Central Texas counties experience moderate to extreme drought including Hays, Travis, Williamson, Guadalupe, and Caldwell. This becomes the defining backdrop for every land use decision in the region.

Early 2025

Highlander SM One LLC proposes $1.5B data center on Francis Harris Lane

Fort Worth-based Highlander SM One LLC, led by managing partner John Maberry, files for a Preferred Scenario Map amendment on 199.49 acres at 904 Francis Harris Lane. The site sits between San Marcos and New Braunfels, adjacent to the Hays County Energy Power Station. Water would come not from the city of San Marcos but from Crystal Clear Special Utility District — a politically explosive detail.

Spring 2025

Opposition organizes — Data Center Action Coalition forms

Multiple opposition groups emerge: the Data Center Action Coalition, Save Our Springs Alliance, and the Hill Country Alliance. Shannon Hamilton, Executive Director of the Central Texas Water Coalition, warns that data centers could 'run a municipality out of water.' The opposition frames the fight around water — not jobs, not tax revenue, not noise. Water.

Mid-2025

Community meetings draw hundreds — water is the only issue

San Marcos holds multiple public meetings on the data center proposal. Residents raise concerns about the facility's proposed consumption of 70,000 gallons per day — over 25 million gallons annually. Michael Hernandez, a resident who has attended meetings for over a year: 'A lot of us are tired. We've been coming to these for over a year now.'

Late 2025

Planning and Zoning Commission reviews the application

The San Marcos Planning and Zoning Commission evaluates the Preferred Scenario Map amendment. John Maberry offers restrictive covenants aligned with a 'Data Center Community Guide.' The developer commits to cutting water usage in half, then half again from the original proposal. But the fundamental question — 70,000 gallons per day during a historic drought — remains politically unresolvable.

February 16, 2026

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra proposes water-use moratorium

One day before the San Marcos council vote, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra publicly proposes a moratorium on permits for large water-use developments. His statement: 'We are no longer just looking at a dry spell. We are looking at a potential catastrophe.' The moratorium proposal is not binding on San Marcos — but it signals that the county's top elected official is aligned with the opposition.

February 17, 2026 — 6:00 PM

Eight-hour marathon council hearing begins

The San Marcos City Council hearing begins at 6:00 PM. Over 130 residents sign up to speak. 125 register for citizen comment; 57 for formal public hearing testimony. Hundreds pack the chamber and overflow areas. Union construction workers in orange shirts advocate for the five-year construction job pipeline. The overwhelming majority of speakers oppose the project.

February 17, 2026 — Late Evening

Resident testimony dominates — water, drought, generational responsibility

Torrie Martin: 'You are either going to greatly harm your relationship with your community or you're going to buckle down and work with us and come up with an alternative.' Shannon Hamilton of the Central Texas Water Coalition warns of 53 data centers proposed regionally. Council members absorb five hours of citizen comment. A motion to postpone fails 3-4.

February 18, 2026 — 2:14 AM

Council votes 5-2 to deny — Amanda Rodriguez makes the motion

After over eight hours, Amanda Rodriguez moves to deny the Preferred Scenario Map amendment. Alyssa Garza seconds. The motion passes 5-2. Voting to deny: Rodriguez, Garza, Josh Paselk, and two additional members. Voting against denial (supporting the project): Matthew Mendoza and Lorenzo Gonzalez. Mendoza argued the site next to the power station was better suited for a data center than a neighborhood.

February 18, 2026

Developer retains right to refile in six months

Under San Marcos city rules, John Maberry can refile the Preferred Scenario Map amendment application after a minimum six-month waiting period. Whether the regional water situation will have changed by August 2026 is uncertain — but the political dynamics are unlikely to shift while the drought continues.

February 26, 2026

KUT reports 5 data centers on the horizon for Hays County

A week after the denial, KUT reports that five data center projects remain under consideration in Hays County, including two in Caldwell County that would directly impact Hays County water resources. Shannon Hamilton: the fight is 'just beginning.' The San Marcos denial did not resolve the regional data center pressure — it just redirected it.