Residents gathered at Northwest Vista College on Tuesday to voice concerns about data center development in San Antonio and discuss what regulations city leaders should consider as they prepare to update the city’s land development rules.
The town hall, hosted by District 6 Councilman Ric Galvan, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and Public Citizen, focused on issues including water use, electricity demand, noise, zoning and the effects of data centers on nearby neighborhoods.
The meeting also gave residents an opportunity to learn about the city’s process for updating its Unified Development Code and share feedback on proposed data center regulations.
The city’s Development Services Department is drafting regulations for data centers, with City Council expected to vote on the rules in the near future.
Randy Sipe said residents need more notice about proposed projects before permits are approved and construction begins.
“When you first notice them, it’s too late to do anything because I’ve been to some meetings before and unfortunately the permits are done and over,” Sipe said. “So once they break ground, there is no stopping them.”
Luis Leon said he is concerned about how data center development could affect future generations, particularly access to water and electricity costs.
“I’m concerned about the future of my descendants,” Leon said. “I want to know that they’re going to be OK, that they’re going to have water and the cost of electricity.”
Residents also discussed where data centers should be allowed, how noise should be controlled and what requirements developers should meet.
Potential policy changes discussed at the meeting included establishing a clear, updated definition of a data center, revisiting zoning qualifications, strengthening site plan requirements and updating fire and building codes.
Galvan said San Antonio has just under 30 data centers within city limits, with 18 or 19 located in District 6.
“A little under 30 data centers here in San Antonio city limits, with 18-19 of them here in District 6,” Galvan said. “We’ve seen them grow over time with rapid development over the last 15 years.”
Galvan said the city and its residents need to understand how local policies could affect future projects and the communities where they are built.
“It’s incumbent on us to make sure we’re understanding what’s going on and how local policies can help impact some of the developments here so our communities aren’t left behind,” he said.
Organizers said the town hall was intended to bring more residents, particularly those on the far West Side and in District 6, into discussions about data center development.
Annalisa Peace, executive director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, said she hopes the city’s development code will be updated to address the growth of large-scale data centers.
“We hope that the City will be amending the UDC to accommodate new hyperscale data centers with regulations that best serve the citizens of San Antonio,” Peace said.
No official decisions were made at Tuesday’s citizen town hall. The feedback comes as the city works to develop regulations for data centers and prepares for further City Council consideration of updates to the Unified Development Code.
Read also:
