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Planning commission tables draft data‑center ordinance after residents press for clearer water, noise and landscaping rules
Summary
After hours of testimony, the San Angelo Planning Commission voted unanimously to table proposed land‑use rules for data centers and asked staff to rework landscaping, buffer/setback language and water‑use provisions before the ordinance goes to council.
The Planning Commission on March 23 tabled a proposed ordinance that would have required data centers to seek conditional‑use approval in light‑ and heavy‑manufacturing zones and to meet new design and environmental standards. The commission voted 6‑0 to send the draft back to staff for revision after sustained public concern about water use, low‑frequency noise and the scale of proposed 300‑foot residential buffers.
Aaron Venoy, director of planning and development services, opened the discussion by saying staff wanted to rescind a prior director’s interpretation that allowed data centers by right and instead place them under a conditional‑use process with explicit design standards. The draft would require pre‑development site plans, noise studies, water‑use studies (including closed‑loop cooling protocols), landscaping, masonry screening for ground‑mounted equipment and building setbacks intended to keep…
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