Fort Worth Zoning Commission votes against data center restrictions
The Fort Worth Zoning Commission voted to recommend denial of a proposal that would establish zoning and development standards for data centers, including a ban on cryptocurrency mining and changes to water use and noise regulations. The decision followed a lengthy public hearing where residents expressed concerns about the speed of the process and called for a moratorium. The Fort Worth City Council is expected to weigh the proposal in August.
The Fort Worth Zoning Commission voted 7-4 to recommend the denial of a comprehensive proposal to integrate data centers into the city's zoning code and establish specific development standards. This decision came after a public discussion lasting over two hours at its July 8 meeting.
The proposed regulations aimed to mitigate potential impacts of data centers on residents while still allowing the city to benefit economically from new developments. Key provisions included prohibiting cryptocurrency mining and amending existing development, water use, noise, and economic development agreement standards. Residents have also been vocal, with over 900 survey responses and more than 20 people speaking at the meeting, expressing concerns about the rapid pace of the decision-making process and advocating for a city-wide moratorium on data center developments.
Commissioners, including Jacob Wurman, questioned the expediency of the vote compared to other city deliberations, indicating that they felt pressured. Despite considering tabling the item for further review, the commission ultimately decided to recommend denial to the Fort Worth City Council, which is scheduled to review the proposal on August 11. The city manager's office maintains a website with information on the proposed regulations and a resident survey.