SAN ANTONIO – City council will vote Thursday on how to regulate data centers within city limits.

City council will vote Thursday on how to regulate data centers within city limits. (SBG San Antonio)

It’s a divisive issue, with some wanting to keep them as far away as possible. Others tout their financial benefits.

RELATED: Weighing the options: Council discusses data center regulation

The council will vote on adjusting guidelines around what data centers in San Antonio will look like. Community members are asking for stronger regulations before more get here.

A small protest formed at the steps of city hall ahead of Thursday’s council meeting.

“Everything that is going on in city council tomorrow with the vote on the Unified Development Code is absolutely necessary,” one woman said. “It’s about time that the city of San Antonio protect residents from this enormous growth of data centers that has happened and continues to happen.”

The conversation last came up during the October 15th meeting. City staff gave council the option to let data centers into San Antonio automatically with a list of rules:

Restricting them to commercial and industrial areas.

Keeping centers at least 500 ft away from buildings, homes and landscaping — and completely out of the Edwards Research Recharge zone.

“There you see in the picture, those are diesel generators in the back there, and we were all of 650 ft from a playground,” Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said after visiting a center.

A second option would involve all those same guidelines — only each project would have to come before council.

“It’s been critical for my community and for myself to make sure that we are pushing on policies that can ensure that residents have the ability to communicate directly with the developers, ask the question they want to get to know, make sure they get the concessions they’re looking for and the community benefits they’re looking for and finally, making sure that council has their back,” said District 6 Councilman Ric Galvan.

Online data shows 89 data centers already exist in San Antonio. We asked Councilman Galvan where this effort comes from.

“Because there hasn’t been an opportunity before,” he said.

Councilman Galvan has led the effort of data center regulation, saying he wants each center to come to the council for approval. He hopes his colleagues will support him.

“I think we need to look at responsible policy again that protects our people and says to the data centers, if you can meet ‘a, b, c, d, e’ qualifications. If you’re willing to abide by these rules and we’re willing to talk about you being here within our city,” said District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte.

He believes that while data centers should be regulated, they also come with financial benefits in the midst of the city’s budget deficit.

“The jobs that they create for our city, the revenue that they create for our city cannot be overlooked,” Councilman Whyte said. “I hope my colleagues take that into account [Thursday].”

Thursday’s vote will change the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) which outlines rules for land use and development.

We’ll keep you updated on what the council decides.