Denton officials pass development code updates for data centers
The Denton City Council unanimously adopted development code amendments regulating data center locations, water-cooling systems, setbacks from homes and environmental protections. The changes are intended as a temporary safeguard while the council considers a moratorium that could halt new data center applications, with a vote possible in December.
Denton City Council unanimously approved development code amendments on Oct. 13 that limit data centers to industrial and public facility zoning districts requiring special-use permits. The rules increase residential setbacks to 300 feet, prohibit light spillover onto residential properties, require water and wastewater demand studies, restrict cooling systems to closed-loop or free-air designs, and require approvals from the Texas Public Utility Commission and Electric Reliability Council of Texas before applications reach the council.
The amendments apply to new facilities and to two previously permitted Denton data centers if they expand or modify their sites. Officials said the changes are intended to protect homes, water supplies and surface and groundwater while the city considers a broader moratorium. The council’s second public hearing on the proposed moratorium is scheduled for Oct. 27, and the earliest possible vote is Dec. 1.