Breaking down the options for data center rules in San Antonio
San Antonio officials are considering four approaches to regulate data center development, ranging from by-right approvals to case-by-case authorization. The City Council is expected to make a final decision after the Zoning Commission recommended allowing by-right projects in some industrial districts while requiring specific authorization in other areas.
San Antonio’s Zoning Commission recommended a framework that would allow data centers by right in several industrial districts but require specific use authorization in business park, light industrial and general commercial zones. The proposal includes a 350-foot separation from residential and neighborhood buildings, a 100-foot property-line setback, downward-facing lighting and an exemption for some older facilities undergoing phased construction.
The recommendation is one of four options under consideration by the San Antonio City Council, which plans to decide the city’s new land-use rules at an Oct. 29 meeting. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones supports a hybrid approach requiring city standards, public engagement and case-by-case council approval, while some developers favor predictable by-right construction. Public Citizen advocate Deedee Belmares urged officials to retain project-specific review, and council members remain divided over the level of regulation. The rules would address land use, while power and water issues would remain under the authority of CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System.