Fort Worth Zoning Commission sends data center rules back to City Council

Fort Worth’s Zoning Commission voted 7–4 on July 8, 2026 to reject proposed “first-in-the-city” zoning and development standards for data centers, sending the ordinance package back to City Council for further work. The zoning case is ZC-26-087.

City documents and local reporting say the draft rules were built around a tradeoff residents have been watching closely: steering most data center development toward industrial districts while tightening buffering, equipment screening, noise controls, and lighting limits near homes.

What the draft rules would have changed (and where)

In the ZC-26-087 text amendment, the City’s proposal would have:

• Restricted data centers to industrial districts (instead of other zoning areas).
• Established new development standards aimed at reducing neighborhood impacts.
• Addressed “crypto currency mining” in the zoning code by adding new/updated restrictions connected to data centers.

Neighbor-impact standards residents focused on

• Setbacks: a 250-foot building setback from residential districts.
• Standby generators: not within 300 feet of residential areas and required to be fully screened.
• Rooftop cooling equipment: positioned behind an acoustic barrier sized at 1.5 times the equipment height.
• Outdoor lighting near homes: within 150 feet of a residential district, outdoor lighting could not extend to residential property (with zero foot-candles on the residential side) and could not exceed 20 feet in height.
• Landscaping/screening: a 50-foot landscape bufferyard and screening fencing along residential boundaries, plus a continuous row of evergreen trees at the site perimeter adjoining residential areas.

Noise requirements and mitigation triggers

• Within 250 feet of residential: a 72-hour pre-development ambient noise study, measured at the property line.
• Maximum sound limits: maximum sound levels could not exceed 5 dBA above the pre-development ambient noise.
• If limits are exceeded: mitigation measures would be required at the owner/operator’s expense.
• Generator testing timing: standby generator testing would be restricted to weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Emergency operations: emergency operations would be exempt (for operations regulated by TCEQ).

Why commissioners voted 7–4 to deny

Local reporting says commissioners told City staff they needed more details, stricter regulations, and more time to review the ordinance before recommending changes. KERA also reported that commissioners discussed topics including setback distances and which industrial zones data centers could operate in.

NBC 5 reported that several commissioners supported regulating data centers, but argued they needed additional time to review the proposal and public feedback before sending the final version to City Council. NBC 5 also reported that councilmembers announced they would pursue a temporary moratorium after the commission vote.

What’s next: City Council on Aug. 11

The denial does not end the process. The ZC-26-087 case notice and City’s data center timeline show the next procedural step is City Council consideration scheduled for August 11, 2026. If the City Council acts, the final language could differ from what the Zoning Commission rejected—especially around noise and equipment screening, which were central to the proposed standards.

What residents should watch as it heads to City Council

• Noise and measurement rules: whether the ambient noise study and the 5 dBA ceiling (plus mitigation triggers) stay in the same form.
• Equipment placement and shielding: whether the 250-foot building setback, 300-foot generator distance, and 1.5x-height acoustic barrier concept remain unchanged.
• Lighting and landscaping buffers: the practical rules for how far lighting must be stopped from reaching residential areas, and the 50-foot bufferyard/screening fence requirements.

Sources

• City of Fort Worth — Data Centers (proposed rules + key dates)
• KERA News / Fort Worth Report — Zoning commissioners deny data center rules
• NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth — Fort Worth councilmembers seek data center moratorium after commission vote