North Richland Hills considering updating zoning regulations for data centers
The North Richland Hills City Council could vote to make changes to data center zoning regulations later this month.
The city is holding two public hearings where residents can weigh in on proposed updates to data center zoning requirements. The hearings are July 20 and July 27, both at 7 p.m., in the third floor council chamber at 4301 City Point Drive.
North Richland Hills adopted data center regulations in June 2025 to address the new use.
Some requirements include data centers larger than 10,000 square feet are allowed on industrial property by right or on commercial property with a specific use permit.
All data centers have to meet certain requirements, including completely enclosing systems used for cooling, ventilation and power generation — or if not “mechanically possible,” screen off the equipment by a wall or other barrier, which also must be at least 100 feet from the nearest residential property.
If generators are on site, they must be tested from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
After the zoning regulations were adopted last year, a data center developer submitted a site plan and a building permit application for a 12,000-square-foot data center at 6401 Wuliger Way.
The developer and city collaborated on changes such as:
- Moving the required masonry screening wall in from the property line to install at a higher grade that would provide more screening
- Moving the cooling equipment to the opposite side of the building to separate further from residential properties
- Designing the building structure in a way that it fully screens the cooling equipment from the residential properties
- Selecting screening wall design (to surround cooling equipment) that allows for better architectural detail/design
The modifications were done as a courtesy rather than something North Richland Hills required, according to information on the city’s website.
Some of the proposed new regulations include requiring all data centers to have a specific use permit.
Other updates may include additional distance requirements from residential properties, restrictions on types of cooling systems or water usage and site testing to be completed at the developer’s expense.
Last month, mayor Jack McCarty stated that he has serious concerns about data centers locating near homes and apartments saying they could bring more noise and higher electricity costs.
McCarty made his comments after a June 23 meeting with Provident, a developer who is proposing building a 21-acre data center at 5201 Rufe Snow Drive, which is in a commercial area near a Walmart and Home Depot.