Amendments to strengthen data center rules in Denton’s development code now head to the City Council
The Denton City Council is set to vote on October 13 on amendments to its development code that would require specific use permits for all new data centers, increasing public input and scrutiny. This action comes amidst strong community opposition and a proposed data center moratorium, with a separate public hearing on the moratorium scheduled for October 27. The changes aim to address environmental impacts and infrastructure demands.
The Denton City Council is preparing to vote on October 13 on significant amendments to its development code that would mandate specific use permits for all new data centers within city limits. This change, which aims to increase public input and scrutiny, was unanimously recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Assistant Planning Director Angie Manglaris clarified that this would remove "by-right" data center development, requiring all projects to undergo review by both the Commission and the City Council, and would remove data centers as an allowable land use in some heavily trafficked areas like suburban or mixed-use regional zoning districts.
These proposed code changes are occurring amid strong community opposition to further data center development in Denton, highlighted by a public hearing last week. Residents expressed concerns about environmental impacts, including water and electricity usage, wastewater, air and noise pollution, and the loss of working lands, specifically citing the rapid growth of generative AI and the proliferation of data centers in Texas. Mayor Pro Tem Nick Stevens, who initially proposed a moratorium on data center development, acknowledged that while the amendments are a "good first step" to increase scrutiny, they do not address critical infrastructure concerns like the city's power grid or water supply, which are the primary focus of the proposed moratorium. A public hearing for the moratorium is scheduled for October 27.
The article details existing data center activity in Denton, including Core Scientific's expansion from crypto mining to AI data computing, which was approved in 2024 and will consume up to 391 megawatts. QumulusAI also received approval for a 20-megawatt modular data center earlier this year. Denton Municipal Electric General Manager Tony Puente explained how DME is managing these large loads, including a separate energy cost adjustment and "hefty demand charges." Neither Core Scientific nor QumulusAI was required to produce water or wastewater impact studies due to current ordinances.
Additional amendments under consideration include requiring water and wastewater demand studies for new applications and mandating less water-intensive cooling systems like closed-loop or free-air systems. Colovore, a California-based data center company, recently filed plans to build a 156,500-square-foot, 32-megawatt data center in southern Denton County, just outside city limits. Denton County Judge Andy Eads confirmed no economic incentive applications have been received for data centers in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Lisa Dyer viewed the amendments as a positive initial step, recognizing both the potential benefits and drawbacks of data center development for the community.