San Antonio officials are considering new regulations that could require every proposed data center within city limits to receive individual City Council approval, giving elected officials greater authority over where the facilities can be built.
The city's Development Services Department presented two proposals to amend its Unified Development Code during an Oct. 14 City Council briefing. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones introduced a third option that would combine council approval with additional environmental and development requirements.
Under the first proposal, data centers would be permitted in designated heavy commercial and industrial zoning districts without individual council approval, provided developers meet certain requirements. Those include a 500-foot separation measured from a data center building or power-generator building to a property line, landscaping requirements, a 50-foot setback from property lines and restrictions on construction within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone.
The second proposal would require each new data center to obtain specific-use authorization, bringing individual projects before City Council for consideration. Rather than establishing the same development requirements for every facility, the approach would allow the council to evaluate projects and impose conditions on a case-by-case basis.
Jones' alternative would also require council approval for new data centers while incorporating additional development standards. Her proposal includes a 45-day notification period before filing, community engagement requirements, replacing twice the green space removed during construction and provisions addressing backup generators and air quality.
The proposals follow a review initiated by District 6 Councilmember Ric Galvan, who submitted a council consideration request in October 2025 calling for an examination of data center growth and its potential effects on the city's natural resources and infrastructure.
The Development Services Department subsequently held four stakeholder meetings between May and September to gather input on possible changes to the development code.
Galvan has advocated requiring City Council approval for all new data centers, citing the need for greater community participation in decisions about their locations.
"The residents of San Antonio deserve to have a say in where and how data centers are built in our city," Galvan said in an Oct. 15 announcement. "All new data centers within city limits should require a vote by City Council."
The proposals could change the approval process for companies developing data centers in San Antonio. The option allowing construction under established zoning requirements would provide developers with standards to meet before proceeding, while individual council authorization would introduce project-specific reviews and potential conditions.
During the Oct. 14 briefing, city officials acknowledged that requiring individual council consideration would provide greater flexibility in evaluating proposals but could reduce predictability for developers.
Council members have expressed differing views on the proposed requirements, including concerns about their potential effects on future development. Local reporting has detailed the competing approaches and the discussion surrounding their potential implementation.
City Council is scheduled to consider the regulations for potential approval on Oct. 29, according to the city's public hearing information.
No final changes to the city's data center regulations have been adopted.
San Antonio Considers New Data Center Approval Requirements
What to Know:
- City officials have outlined three regulatory approaches, including two that would require individual City Council approval for new facilities.
- Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones' proposal includes additional setbacks, community notification requirements and environmental protections.
- The City Council is scheduled to consider the regulations for potential approval Oct. 29.
