A land dispute in Taylor, Texas has now caught the attention of the state’s top law enforcement office. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into a proposed data center on property the Bland family deeded to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation in 1999 for ten dollars, with the stated purpose of creating a park. Developer Blueprint Data Centers plans to build there, and residents led by Pamela Griffin have been fighting that plan for more than a year.

Their lawsuit against the developer was dismissed last year because the residents don’t own the land, and that case is now in appeals court. Taylor Economic Development Corporation CEO Ben White has said a note on the deed is not a legal restriction, while the City of Taylor says it will cooperate fully with the Attorney General’s investigation. Paxton said that if the development is unlawful, he will do everything in his power to stop it and hold violators accountable.

The outcome matters well beyond Taylor. Data center construction is booming across North Texas, and towns from Waxahachie to Sherman are weighing the tax revenue and jobs against traffic, water use, and lost green space. How this case resolves could influence how similar deed restrictions are treated for years to come. What do you think: should a 1999 deed control what happens on that land today?