Commissioners Consider Three Options For Data Centers

Farmersville Planning and Zoning commissioners reviewed three possible approaches to future data center development but took no action, saying it may be premature to write detailed rules before an actual proposal is submitted. The discussion focused on how the city could prepare for a potential project while state-level requirements and the industry itself continue to evolve.

Officials outlined three options. The first was to take no action for now. The second was to add a formal definition for data centers to the zoning ordinance and create specific regulations. The third would require a data center to seek planned development zoning, which would allow the city to evaluate a specific site and set project-specific requirements before approval.

A city representative said Farmersville's current zoning ordinance generally does not allow uses that are not defined. However, a future applicant could argue that a data center fits into an existing category such as utilities, offices, storage or utility facilities. If that happened, city officials would have to determine whether the proposed use actually matches one of those classifications.

Commissioners said one challenge is that they do not yet know what size, location or operating needs a future project might have. Members noted that drafting rules for noise, setbacks, screening, water use, electricity demand and other development standards could become a significant undertaking without a real proposal to evaluate.

The commission agreed the city should stay prepared in case an application is filed, but members said immediate regulation could be too early. Officials also emphasized that any zoning rules Farmersville adopts would apply only inside the city limits, not in the extraterritorial jurisdiction or elsewhere in the county.