Fort Worth data center rules: June 30 open house, July 8 zoning vote

Fort Worth data center rules: June 30 open house, what’s next

Fort Worth held a come-and-go open house on data center development standards on Tuesday, June 30, from 5–7 p.m. at the City Council Lobby, City Hall, 100 Fort Worth Trail. The city says the proposed rules are meant to give it clearer local tools over zoning, noise, water/wastewater policy, and economic development incentives as new projects come forward.

Proposed zoning, lighting, setbacks and screening

• 250-foot setback between data center facilities and any residential district and use.
• 50-foot landscape bufferyard plus a screening fence along any property line adjacent to residential uses.
• Standby generators not within 300 feet of residential and fully screened.
• Lighting near homes: fixtures within 150 feet of a residential use must produce zero-foot candles on the sides adjacent to homes, with a maximum fixture height of 20 feet (including wall fixtures).
• Rooftop cooling equipment behind acoustic barriers sized 1.5 times the equipment height.
• Perimeter trees: a continuous row of evergreen trees along the site perimeter where the property adjoins residential.
• Crypto mining: the proposal would prohibit cryptocurrency mining as a primary use in the city.

Noise: baseline study and a measurable sound cap

• For data centers within 250 feet of residential, the city proposes requiring a 72-hour pre-development ambient noise study, measured at the property line.
• The proposal would set maximum sound levels at no more than 5 dBA above the pre-development ambient noise.
• If the cap is exceeded, the city proposes requiring mitigation measures at the owner/operator’s expense.
• Generator testing would be restricted to weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., with exceptions for emergency operations (TCEQ-regulated) and other emergency needs.

Water and wastewater: closed-loop cooling and NSIU pretreatment

• Closed-loop cooling would be required for new data centers, and evaporative cooling would not be permitted under the proposed standards.
• The city also proposes that data centers obtain wastewater pretreatment permits as Non-Significant Industrial Users (NSIU), using city-monitored requirements that include spill prevention, discharge limitations, and ongoing compliance reporting.

Economic development incentives: tighter eligibility criteria

For projects that seek public economic development incentives, the proposal would require, among other things: multiple viable competing sites, substantial progress through the ERCOT interconnection approval process, a known end user, and a minimum initial investment threshold of $500 million. The city also proposes capping grants and abatements at no more than 50% of the eligible value.

Online feedback and next public decision dates

The city’s data centers page includes an online feedback survey for community input.

• July 8, 2026: the Zoning Commission is scheduled to take action on proposed zoning amendments.
• August 11, 2026: City Council is scheduled to take action on the full package, including zoning, noise ordinance amendments, water/wastewater policy amendments, and economic development policy amendments.

Sources

• City of Fort Worth News — City proposes new standards on data center development (June 2, 2026)
• Fort Worth Business Press — City plans open house on proposed data center development regulations (June 18, 2026)
• Fort Worth Star-Telegram — Here’s your chance to tell the city… (June 15, 2026)