City of Brenham tightens reins on water-intensive car washes and data centers

The Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended a comprehensive set of new regulations for car washes and data centers, aimed at mitigating their high utility consumption and environmental footprint. Development Services Director Stephanie Doland explained that these proposed amendments primarily address community and council concerns about water consumption. For data centers, the ordinance will redefine these facilities to include modern uses like AI processing centers and cryptocurrency mining operations and will prohibit water-consumptive or evaporative cooling systems, mandating oil-chilled or closed-loop systems instead. The new standards also require a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for any future data center development or expansion, allowing the city to evaluate applications individually. Existing facilities, such as a large-scale data center currently under construction, will be grandfathered for their active permit phase, but any future building add-ons or expansions will be subject to the stricter new environmental and utility standards. Additionally, the proposed regulations introduce new screening requirements and a 300-foot separation distance from residential areas, schools, churches, or daycares. These recommendations are slated for final consideration by the Brenham City Council next week, representing a significant shift in the city's industrial zoning to prioritize resource sustainability.