As more large-scale data centers pop up across North Texas, the city of Mesquite is considering how to tighten regulations on future developments.
On Monday, council members were briefed on potential new standards, including the requirement of technical and noise studies, a utility demand analysis and a water impact plan. Site design standards would include a minimum lot size of five acres.
There would also be performance standards for electric, water, wastewater, gas and telecommunications. Noise levels would not be able to exceed 65 decibels.
Adam Bailey, director of Planning and Development Services, said the proposed new framework 鈥渟upports economic investment while protecting surrounding properties and public infrastructure.鈥�
He said data centers would not be allowed in residential districts, agricultural districts, office districts, commercial districts or mixed-use districts.
The standards won鈥檛 apply to any developments already in progress. Earlier this year, the city鈥檚 Planning and Zoning Commission approved an application by SLS Consultants to amend standards for a planned development on Long Creek Road in order to build a data center. The council denied the zoning application during a March 16 council meeting, but Bailey told members the project was already a 鈥減ermitted use by right鈥� and met the planned development standards in place.
City Manager Cliff Keheley said the developer has been 鈥渁 good actor鈥� and will 鈥渃ontinue to meet some of the standards that were discussed previously.鈥�
Council member B.W. Smith said he had a 鈥渉eated conversation鈥� recently with a constituent in his district who wanted to know why the council didn鈥檛 do more to stop the Long Creek data center.
鈥淚'm very pleased to see that we now have something that for future data centers we can better sink our teeth into that have more regulations that may be built somewhere else,鈥� Smith said.
Other cities and counties around Texas have been discussing how to handle large data centers as the state quickly becomes a hotspot. Somervell County commissioners last month approved a resolution opposing new data center developments until the state legislature addresses concerns over water and energy regulations.
Hill County, between Dallas and Waco, after county commissioners approved a yearlong moratorium.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller recently on large-scale data center developments 鈥渦ntil we fully assess the long-term impacts on our infrastructure, agricultural economy, and communities.鈥�
Bailey said a moratorium in Mesquite could take up to180 days to go into effect and recommended council members pursue an internal ordinance if they want a pause on data center developments.
Final recommendations for the new regulation will be presented to the council during a future meeting.
Priscilla Rice is 四虎影院鈥檚 communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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