Mesquite City Council wants tighter regulations for future data centers
The Mesquite City Council is considering new, tighter regulations for future data center developments, including requirements for technical, noise, utility, and water impact studies, and a five-acre minimum lot size. These proposed standards aim to manage the growth of data centers across North Texas and protect local infrastructure. The council previously denied a specific zoning application from SLS Consultants, though the project was deemed a permitted use by right under older standards.
The Mesquite City Council is actively pursuing stricter regulations for future data center developments in response to a surge of large-scale projects across North Texas. During a recent briefing, council members reviewed potential new standards, which include mandatory technical and noise studies, a utility demand analysis, and a water impact plan. Proposed site design standards would also establish a minimum lot size of five acres and specific performance standards for electric, water, wastewater, gas, and telecommunications infrastructure, capping noise levels at 65 decibels.
Adam Bailey, director of Planning and Development Services, emphasized that this new framework is designed to balance economic investment with the protection of surrounding properties and public infrastructure. He specified that data centers would be prohibited in residential, agricultural, office, commercial, or mixed-use districts. These stricter regulations will not apply to projects already in progress. Earlier this year, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission had approved an application by SLS Consultants to build a data center on Long Creek Road; however, the City Council denied the associated zoning application in March, despite the project being a "permitted use by right" under existing standards.
City Manager Cliff Keheley noted that the developer, SLS Consultants, has been a "good actor" and intends to comply with some of the previously discussed standards. Council member B.W. Smith expressed satisfaction with the progress, stating he was "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." The city is also considering a moratorium on data center developments, which Bailey suggested could be implemented through an internal ordinance rather than a potentially lengthy moratorium process.
This move by Mesquite comes amidst a broader Texas trend, with other localities like Somervell County and Hill County also grappling with the impacts of data center growth. Somervell County recently approved a resolution opposing new data centers until state-level water and energy regulations are addressed, while Hill County faces a lawsuit from a developer after enacting a yearlong moratorium. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has also advocated for a statewide pause on large-scale data center developments to assess their long-term effects.