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Council warned it cannot zone outside city limits; ETJ parcels could host large uses such as data centers
Summary
Council members asked whether the city can control development on lands in its extraterritorial jurisdiction; staff and the attorney explained zoning does not apply outside city limits and large users (e.g., data centers) on ETJ parcels are primarily county-regulated.
Council members asked whether zoning could be applied to parcels in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) to prevent large commercial or industrial uses such as data centers. Staff and the city attorney responded that the city cannot impose its zoning on land outside the city limits: those areas remain under county jurisdiction and, while certain regulatory levers may exist, the city would be limited in its ability to prevent large developments on ETJ parcels.
The exchange highlighted a key boundary for the zoning exercise: while the council can shape zoning within city limits, landowners in the ETJ could arrange large-scale infrastructure or uses that the city cannot directly prohibit. Council members noted concern about potential large developments and asked staff to investigate what limited measures may be available for ETJ-adjacent planning.
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