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Council approves large data‑center project at Givco/Quarry with 75‑foot height cap, debates power plant type and road impacts
Summary
A plan‑development rezoning for a multi‑phase data center with four 820,000‑square‑foot halls and on‑site power plants passed after council amended the maximum building height to 75 feet; council questioned the type of on‑site power plants, road impacts during construction and long‑term employment.
Midlothian — The Midlothian City Council approved a plan‑development zoning change to allow a four‑phase data‑center complex on about 67.3 acres at the southeast corner of Givco Road and Quarry Road, with a maximum building height set at 75 feet by council amendment.
Clyde (city staff) and applicant representatives described the proposed development as four data halls, each roughly 820,000 square feet, each with an associated on‑site power plant and a future substation. The plan anticipates phased construction with the ability to adjust building locations slightly during engineering review.
Council discussion focused on three topics: building height and visibility, the type and emissions profile of the proposed on‑site power plants, and local road impacts from construction traffic.
On height, several council members said they preferred a lower cap than originally requested because the site sits on a ridge and the buildings could be prominent from State Highway 287. Mayor Pro Tem Whitcliffe moved and council amended the ordinance to cap maximum building height at 75 feet. The motion carried on a 6–1 vote.
On power, staff and applicants said the project envisions on‑site electrical generation options and that the site plan language allows utility equipment "including electrical generating plants, standby generators, fuel tanks and cooling equipment." Council asked that the record show a preference for gas‑fired turbine power plants, and requested clearer language about the type of generation during follow‑up design and permitting. Applicant engineers said roof‑mounted mechanical screening and air‑handling equipment will be part of the design; exhaust from cooling and mechanical systems will be managed in standard industry ways.
On roads, staff said Givco Road and parts of the nearby thoroughfare network will need upgrades, and that the developer will provide an initial pavement assessment, fund construction activities and work with the city on a development agreement addressing intersection improvements at Highway 67. During construction phases the site will require significant truck traffic and a large construction workforce for limited periods; once operational, staff said, each data hall is expected to employ about 60 people and routine deliveries would be low.
Motion and vote: The council approved the PD with the amended 75‑foot maximum height and other conditions; the recorded vote was 6–1 in favor.
Why it matters: The project will add large‑scale data‑center development to a previously industrial/undeveloped area, creating construction‑period economic activity and a modest number of permanent jobs; it also raises questions about energy infrastructure and visual impacts that the council treated by imposing a 75‑foot cap and asking for detailed power‑plant information in future reviews.
