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Council increases residential setback for proposed data‑center zoning to 5,000 feet after legal consultation
Summary
After an executive‑session consultation with legal counsel, the Forney City Council amended a proposed data‑center zoning text to change the minimum residential setback from 1,000 to 5,000 feet and adopted the amendment by unanimous vote; staff emphasized the action amends the zoning text and does not authorize any specific facility.
The council considered a text amendment to the comprehensive zoning ordinance to define a "data center" use and to restrict that use to the light‑industrial district with conditional‑use permit (CUP) review and equipment‑screening requirements. Staff (Mr. Morgan) described the draft text, which initially included a 1,000‑foot buffer from residentially zoned or used property.
Council then voted to move the matter to executive session to consult with legal counsel. After returning to open session, Councilmember James Traylor moved to approve action item 2 with an amendment that increased the minimum setback from 1,000 feet to 5,000 feet from any property zoned residential or used for residential purposes; the motion was seconded and approved. At the meeting council members and staff clarified that the change is a text amendment to the zoning ordinance and that approval of the text does not by itself approve any individual data center; any particular project would still require a separate zoning and CUP review before council.
