Lewisville moves to tighten rules on data centers
Lewisville officials are proposing an ordinance amendment to tighten regulations on data centers, defining them and requiring a special use permit for location in industrial districts. This aims to allow case-by-case review of projects, addressing concerns about water, electricity, noise, and environmental impacts. The Planning and Zoning Commission has already recommended approval.
The Lewisville City Council in Texas is considering a significant amendment to its city ordinance to tighten regulations on data centers. This move comes amid a nationwide surge in demand for data center facilities, driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Planning Director Richard E. Luedke informed city officials that while Lewisville is poised for high demand due to its light industrial zoning and existing warehouses, data centers pose unique challenges. The proposed amendment would formally define data centers, prohibit them in residential areas, and require a special use permit for facilities in industrial districts. This change would shift data centers from being permitted by right under a 'distribution warehouse' classification to requiring individual project evaluations to ensure compatibility and proper mitigation of infrastructure capacity and environmental impacts.
City officials have raised concerns about the substantial demands data centers place on local water and electrical systems, as well as potential noise and other environmental effects. The city currently has two operational data centers, with one older, larger facility consuming over 40 million gallons of water annually. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the ordinance amendment for approval in May, and a public hearing is scheduled.