LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The city of Lubbock’s Planning and Zoning Commission has delayed its decision on large-scale data center restrictions.
Proposed changes to development code
The commission has an outline of recommendations it wants to make to the city’s Unified Development Code. The UDC is the city’s rulebook for land use and property management.
The commission is considering creating a new land use designation for large-scale data centers.
The proposal includes new requirements such as restrictions on water use, a 500-foot setback from other properties and a power use feasibility study.
Some commission members say the rules would prevent hyper-scale data centers from coming into the city limits, but they are concerned the requirements may be too tough as written.
Robert Wood, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said, “It doesn’t address the megawatts, it doesn’t address the water usage and those things and changes we’ve discussed here, so there’s some other things to be discussed, so to my point, and everyone else’s point, if this is what we adopt, we’ll never see a data center in the city limits of Lubbock.”
Next steps
Commission members said they plan to work on the proposals with citizens and city staff. They plan to hold another work session next month.
The commission’s recommendations will then go to the Lubbock City Council for consideration.
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