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Council approves development agreements and data‑center rezones; debates reducing Green/Alma thoroughfares
Summary
Council approved multiple development agreements and planned‑development rezonings to allow data‑center uses and a convenience store/fueling station with required site amenities; council limited a data‑center building height to 110 feet and extensively debated master thoroughfare reclassifications, where denial motions did not carry.
Lancaster City Council voted to approve several development agreements and zoning changes tied to industrial and data‑center development and a commercial planned development for a convenience store and fueling station.
Development agreements with WHL Dallas 45 LLC were approved to set building material and landscaping commitments for projects on Sunrise Road and Green Road. Staff noted that Texas House Bill 2439 prevents local governments from imposing building‑material regulations unless the city enters a voluntary development agreement with a landowner; the agreements instead specify allowable exterior materials and perpetual landscape maintenance.
Council also approved zoning changes to allow large data‑center campuses. For the 116.88‑acre site at 201 Sunrise Road (Project Orange), staff said ERCOT studied power availability and a power allotment was designated; the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval and council followed that recommendation. For a larger combined tract (Project Labrador), council approved a plan development that adds data‑center uses and removes warehouse/distribution as an allowed use, but limited maximum building height to 110 feet after the applicant agreed that 110 feet would be acceptable.
Applicant representatives from the developer teams (including Dylan Adame, Brad White and Mark Smith) described site plans and said the convenience‑store/fueling‑station PD (a 7‑Eleven prototype) would include enhanced façade materials, additional open space across the larger PD and several site amenities. Council required amendments including two bike racks, decorative bollards, full cutoff lights, masonry columns on fuel canopies and a prohibition on overnight tractor‑trailer parking.
Council spent substantial time debating master thoroughfare plan amendments to reclassify Green Road and a segment of Alma/Alba Road from four lanes to three‑lane urban collectors to reflect projected lower traffic volumes for data‑center uses versus warehouse/distribution uses. Staff and the applicant’s traffic engineer described “right‑sizing” the roadway for anticipated data‑center traffic volumes and noted Institute of Transportation Engineers trip‑generation coefficients that predict fewer daily vehicle trips for data centers than for warehouses. Several council members objected to reducing planned capacity and expressed concern about future right‑of‑way needs; motions to deny those thoroughfare amendments were made but did not carry according to the transcript.
On code enforcement, council denied a requested variance to allow a 641‑square‑foot accessory structure at 126 Berry Lane that exceeded the 225‑square‑foot limit and violated setback requirements; staff recommended removal because construction began without an approved building permit and a stop‑work order had been violated.
What happens next: Several rezones and development agreements move the associated projects forward to subsequent plan‑review and permitting steps. Staff will return with master thoroughfare plan details and any required right‑of‑way dedications if different uses requiring more capacity are proposed in future applications.
