Red Oak commission approves zoning amendment and preliminary plat for 129.62‑acre Loop 9 data center complex

On Oct. 27, 2025, the Red Oak Planning and Zoning Commission approved a preliminary plat and a rezoning amendment to permit a 129.62‑acre data center complex on land near Loop 9, the commission announced at its meeting.

The change would amend Planned Development PD162 to a revised PD162 (referred to in the agenda as PD162R) and approve the Loop 9 Land Partners preliminary plat for about 129.62 acres (PIN 181352305811). The applicant asked the commission to fold an additional roughly 7.86 acres into the zoning and to subdivide the site into eight lots for future buildings, switch stations and common areas.

Staff and the applicant described the site plan and mitigation measures. Roderick, the city’s planning and zoning manager, said the layout shows two switch facilities near the northern boundary adjacent to Loop 9 — one private facility for the data center and one to be owned and operated by Encore — and identified detention areas and a park on the southern portion of the property that the applicant will construct and later transfer to the city’s parks department.

Rusty Cohen, representing Lincoln Properties and identified as the applicant and property owner, told commissioners, "We've added 8 acres to the property," and said the concept plan had been modified from the 2023 rezoning to move certain utility features north and reduce drive locations off Steynback Road.

Staff and the applicant said the subdivision’s irregular lot shapes result from a requirement that each building lot have its own septic system; septic systems, they said, cannot cross property lines, which led the developer to use common access easements rather than public roads for frontage. The applicant also told the commission it will dedicate about 32.5 feet for Steynback Road widening; the eastern building will be set roughly 260 feet north of that road and will be screened by a berm and trees.

A resident, Dr. Monique Compey Foster, asked whether the switchyard would be visible from homes to the south and whether a screening wall promised previously would be built. She asked, "I think this is the gigabyte. Is this the gigabyte site?" Staff and the applicant responded that the switchyard would be on the north side adjacent to Loop 9 (not on the south side), that building placement and landscaping/berms are intended to reduce visibility from residences, and that the southern feature shown on the plan is a dry/wet detention pond.

A commissioner asked whether a black vinyl‑coated chain‑link fence option had been allowed in the past for data centers; staff confirmed the screening options routinely offered for data centers include wrought iron or black metal chain link combined with landscaping and berming.

Commissioners moved, seconded and voted to approve the rezoning amendment and the preliminary plat as presented. The chair announced the motion carried on the record. The meeting also approved the minutes from the Sept. 29, 2025 meeting and adjourned that night.

Planning staff said site details such as landscaping, fence style and final utility layouts will be handled in subsequent site‑plan and engineering submittals required before construction. The applicant will construct the park shown on the southern portion of the property and later convey it to the city.