Denison establishes data center guidelines
The Denison City Council has established stricter guidelines for data centers, restricting their location to industrial zones. These new rules also mandate conditional use permits, allowing the city to evaluate impacts on water, noise, lighting, and community input.
The Denison City Council in Texas is implementing stricter guidelines for data center location and development, responding to homeowner concerns about their impact. Under the new regulations, data centers will be confined to heavy and light industrial zones and will require a conditional use permit. Mary Tate, Denison Development Services director, explained that the amendment aims to address a previous allowance for data centers 'by right' in several zoning districts.
The conditional use permit process grants the City Council and the planning and zoning board enhanced oversight. This allows them to scrutinize potential impacts, including water consumption, noise levels, and lighting. The framework also ensures community input in the development process. Although no data center projects are currently planned for Denison, these new guidelines provide a regulatory structure for future developments.