FORNEY — As the demand for digital infrastructure continues to surge across Texas, the City of Forney is considering new zoning rules that would formally regulate the development of data centers within city limits.
The City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on March 17 to discuss a proposed ordinance aimed at amending Forney’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. This amendment would include a formal definition of a data center and establish specific development regulations regarding where and how these facilities can operate.
City staff indicate that this proposal arises from increased interest from developers exploring data center projects in the region.
The Planning and Zoning Commission has already reviewed the proposal and is recommending its approval.
What Is a Data Center?
Under the proposed ordinance, a data center would be defined as:
“A building or group of buildings primarily used to house computers and related equipment for the collection, storage, management, processing, or distribution of digital data.”
These facilities house thousands — sometimes millions — of servers that power modern internet services such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence systems, financial networks, and streaming platforms.
Across the country, the rapid growth of AI and cloud computing has triggered a massive expansion of data center construction, with Texas emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets due to its available land, energy resources, and favorable regulatory environment.
Where Data Centers Could Be Built
The proposed ordinance would allow data centers in several zoning districts only through a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This means that any developer seeking to build a facility would require approval from the city through the conditional use process, which typically includes:
Public notice
Planning & Zoning review
Final approval by City Council
This process allows the city to evaluate each proposal individually and impose additional requirements when necessary.
New Development Rules
The ordinance also introduces several specific operational requirements designed to reduce potential impacts on nearby neighborhoods.
Equipment Screening
Cooling equipment, generators, and other infrastructure must be fully enclosed whenever possible. If full enclosure is not mechanically feasible, the equipment must be screened by walls or barriers and placed at least 100 feet from the nearest residential property.
Parking Requirements
The proposal also creates parking standards tailored to the unique nature of data centers:
1 parking space per 350 square feet of office space
1 parking space per 5,000 square feet of other operational space
Because most of the building area is dedicated to server equipment rather than workers, data centers typically employ relatively small on-site staff compared to other industrial uses.
Why Cities Are Paying Attention
While data centers are a major part of the modern digital economy, they can create unique challenges for communities.
Across Texas and the United States, cities have begun adopting new zoning rules to address issues such as:
Power Demand
Large facilities can require enormous amounts of electricity. A single hyperscale data center can consume as much power as a small city.
Noise
Cooling systems and backup generators can produce continuous background noise if not properly enclosed or screened.
Water Use
Some data centers rely on water-based cooling systems that can consume significant volumes of water.
Low Employment Density
While these facilities represent billions in investment, they typically create far fewer permanent jobs than manufacturing or office developments of similar size.
Because of these factors, many municipalities now regulate data centers through conditional permits and specialized development standards.
Why Forney Is Preparing Now
City staff noted that the ordinance was developed after reviewing regulations adopted in other cities as well as guidelines published by the Urban Land Institute for local governments managing data center development.
The goal, according to the staff report, is to ensure that if data centers are proposed in the future, the city already has clear zoning standards and protections in place.
Without such regulations, developers could attempt to classify facilities under broader industrial categories that were written before modern data center infrastructure existed.
What Happens Next
The ordinance will be considered during the March 17 Forney City Council meeting, which includes a public hearing where residents and stakeholders can provide input.
If approved, the amendment would take effect immediately and become part of the city’s zoning code. The change would not authorize any specific project, but it would establish the rules governing any future data center proposals within the city.
âś… InForney Insight
The proposal signals that Forney — like many rapidly growing North Texas communities — is beginning to prepare for the next phase of digital infrastructure expansion.
With AI computing, cloud services, and streaming demand driving a nationwide data center boom, cities across the Dallas-Fort Worth region are increasingly positioning themselves to either manage or compete for these massive technology investments.
Forney’s ordinance represents an early step in defining how that growth might fit into the community.
