Tulsa Data Center Zoning Report: New Size Rules Proposed
Tulsa's Planning Office has proposed new data center zoning categories, larger setbacks and stronger landscaping requirements, including a potential 1,500-foot buffer from homes for hyperscale facilities. The recommendations are being developed during a City Council-approved moratorium on hyperscale construction that is scheduled to expire Dec. 31, following community backlash over Meta's Project Anthem in east Tulsa.
Tulsa's Planning Office has proposed amendments that would divide data centers into three size-based industrial categories and limit hyperscale facilities to moderate- and heavy-industrial districts. The draft would increase the residential setback for large facilities from 250 feet to 1,500 feet, impose stronger landscaping requirements and restrict large projects to areas designated for uses with moderate to substantial environmental impacts. Final recommendations are expected to reach the Tulsa City Council in November.
The review follows the Council's moratorium on hyperscale data center construction, enacted after community backlash over Meta's $1 billion Project Anthem in east Tulsa. The moratorium is scheduled to expire Dec. 31. Officials and residents have raised concerns about data center water use, electricity demand and the adequacy of Tulsa's existing zoning code, while statewide regulators and utilities are also examining how to accommodate growing demand from the industry.