Here’s your chance to tell the city of Fort Worth how to regulate data centers
The city of Fort Worth wants to show off its proposals for how to regulate data centers.
It is hosting an informational open house to give residents an overview of possible changes to land use rules along with regulations governing water, noise and economic development.
The proposed rules are meant to protect residents and ensure the city can responsibly manage growth while still capturing some of the economic benefits of data centers, according to a city blog post announcing the open house.
Residents attending the open house will be able to review the proposed regulations and speak with city staff experts on hand to answer questions.
The open house will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 30 at City Hall, 100 Fort Worth Trail.
Residents can also give on the proposed regulations through a form on the city’s website.
Fort Worth’s zoning commission is expected to weigh the new rules at its July 9 meeting before the council acts on them at its 6 p.m. meeting on Aug. 11.
The open house comes four weeks after a City Council briefing on data centers that outlined what exactly they are, what they do, and what the city can legally to regulate them.
Some of the suggested rules included a ban on cryptocurrency mining data centers like the MARA Holdings’ Bitcoin-mining operation near Granbury.
City staffers also suggested requiring noise barriers to reduce stress on nearby residents.
Council members were also presented with the possibility of instituting a moratorium on new data centers after calls from residents concerned about the impact these massive server farms will have on water and utility bills.
However, assistant city manager Jes McEachern cautioned council members that state rules limit the moratorium to 90 days, and require the city to wait until October before it could go into effect.
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