Lubbock Planning and Zoning Commission delays ruling for data center restrictions
The Lubbock Planning and Zoning Commission has delayed its decision on proposed restrictions for large-scale data centers. These restrictions include new land use designations, water use limits, setbacks, and power use feasibility studies. The commission will continue to work on these proposals with citizens and city staff.
The Lubbock Planning and Zoning Commission has postponed its decision regarding proposed restrictions on large-scale data centers.
The commission is currently developing recommendations to integrate into the city's Unified Development Code (UDC), which serves as the city's rulebook for land use and property management. These recommendations aim to establish a new land use designation specifically for large-scale data centers. The proposed requirements include restrictions on water usage, a mandatory 500-foot setback from other properties, and a comprehensive power use feasibility study.
While some commission members acknowledge that these rules could prevent hyperscale data centers from establishing operations within city limits, concerns were raised about the potential severity and narrow scope of the restrictions as currently drafted. One commissioner suggested that the regulations should extend to all large power and water users, not exclusively data centers, to more broadly address the impact on community resources.
The commission announced plans to hold another work session to collaborate further on these proposals with both citizens and city staff.