Council requests legal memo and schedules info session on proposed airport data center

Aledo City Council members on June 16 directed staff to prepare a legal memo on whether and how the city can limit or regulate data-center uses and agreed to an informational staff briefing about a proposed airport-site data center on June 23, with a later separate public listening session for community comment.

Brian, a city staff member, said a developer has requested negotiations for airport property to locate a data-center facility and that the principal technical questions concern electric service and the cost of "excess facilities" to extend power to the site. "The letter specifically requested to engage in negotiations for property at the airport," Brian said, noting FAA and utility approvals would factor in.

Several council members said residents have submitted emails and asked whether the council has tools to block a use that is otherwise allowed in the zoning for a site. One council member asked whether the city could change land-use policy or enact a temporary moratorium; staff said those are options but would require legal review and, in some cases, changes to local policy.

The council voted to ask the city attorney for a memo describing what the city can do now under current law to limit or prohibit data-center uses where zoning would otherwise allow them, and what changes would be required to extend that authority. The motion passed by voice vote.

Councilors also voted to schedule a staff presentation about the project on the June 23 meeting with no public comment that night; the idea is to give council and the public a clear, early briefing on the developer's proposal and technical issues (especially electric service) and then hold a later dedicated listening session so residents can provide formal input on policy considerations.

Council members emphasized they were not pre-judging the project. "This is new for us and I want to hear both sides," Council member Tim said. Staff told the council the developer had expressed interest in moving quickly; councilors and staff discussed logistics for a special listening session and asked staff to prepare 20,000-foot-level information about water use and utility impacts specific to the proposed project.

Next steps: staff will draft the requested legal memo, prepare the June 23 briefing materials (staff and the developer will present), and schedule a later public listening session so residents can register comment before any formal council decision on negotiations or approvals.