San Antonio will no longer let data centers go up by right. On Thursday, Oct. 29, City Council voted 9-2 to amend the city's Unified Development Code so that any new data center in an eligible commercial or industrial zoning district needs a Specific Use Authorization (SUA) from council before construction can start, according to Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Report and CultureMap San Antonio.

In practice, every proposed project now goes through a case-by-case public zoning decision instead of by-right development. The Zoning Commission had recommended a different approach, and the mayor had pushed a stricter one. Council took neither.

"Every single data center that is proposed to come to San Antonio must come to council," District 6 Councilmember Ric Galvan said, as quoted by TPR. Galvan started the policy review.

What the Ordinance Does

CultureMap reports that the ordinance amends the Unified Development Code so new data centers in eligible commercial and industrial districts must get an SUA before construction. TPR reports that data centers will be allowed only in commercial or industrial zones.

Council also adopted a definition of "data center" proposed by District 10 Councilmember Marc Whyte, CultureMap reports. It covers any facility used primarily for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. Telecom switching facilities are excluded, and so are server rooms that support a business's on-site operations.

Council added one more piece. CultureMap reports an amendment that lets council consider a proposed facility's distance from UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the San Antonio Missions. TPR describes the same item as unanimously backed rules for data centers near the World Heritage sites on the city's South Side, with specific setbacks to be decided by council.

How the Vote Broke Down

TPR lists nine yes votes for the SUA policy: Galvan (District 6), Sukh Kaur (District 1), Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (District 2), Phyllis Viagran (District 3), Edward Mungia (District 4), Teri Castillo (District 5), Marina Alderete Gavito (District 7), Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (District 8) and Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones. Councilmembers Misty Spears (District 9) and Whyte (District 10) voted no.

CultureMap reports that Spears and Whyte argued the regulation would drive technology investment away from the city.

The Options Council Rejected

TPR reports that council went into the meeting with four options. Two of them failed by one vote before the SUA policy passed.

  • The mayor's proposal. Ortiz Jones backed a package that included 1,000-foot setbacks, noise limits, and water and energy reporting, on top of an SUA requirement, according to TPR. It failed 6-5. The San Antonio Observer reported before the vote that the mayor was promoting an "Option 2+" proposal that called for council review, more public input and stricter requirements. On Oct. 26 she held an event near a Bexar County data center that sits close to a community playground and pool, the Observer reported.
  • Whyte's compromise. Whyte offered a proposal built on the Zoning Commission's recommendation. It also failed 6-5, and TPR identifies Meza Gonzalez as the pivotal vote. TPR reports that the Zoning Commission's version would have allowed data centers by right in some areas, subject to a 350-foot separation and downward-facing lighting.

TPR reports that council settled on the blanket case-by-case policy rather than either alternative. Galvan said council members will be able to raise distance from neighbors, noise, water and energy use, lighting and other concerns on each proposal individually.

How San Antonio Got Here

The policy took about a year. A City of San Antonio news release dated Oct. 15, 2026 (archived copy) says Galvan filed a Council Consideration Request last year calling for a comprehensive review of data center growth and its effect on natural resources and infrastructure. TPR dates his request for staff to begin drafting rules to Oct. 29, 2025, which is exactly one year before the final vote.

The city's Development Services Department then held stakeholder meetings on Unified Development Code changes. The city's SASpeakUp project page says there were four in-person meetings. The department presented two proposals, according to the Oct. 15 release. One would require every data center to get an SUA, giving council a vote on each one. The release does not describe the second proposal.

The SASpeakUp page lists the public schedule that followed:

  • Oct. 14: briefing at a City Council B Session.
  • Oct. 20: Zoning Commission public hearing.
  • Oct. 29, 9:00 a.m.: City Council meeting at 114 West Commerce Street, where the item was to be presented "for consideration and potential approval."

In the Oct. 15 release, Galvan said, "The residents of San Antonio deserve to have a say in where and how data centers are built in our city," and "All new data centers within city limits should require a vote by City Council." The ordinance council passed does what that second statement describes.

A note on sourcing: DataCenterFeed could not retrieve the adopted ordinance text or the final council agenda item from the city's websites, and read the city's Oct. 15 release through an archived copy. The city's SASpeakUp page and the release both predate the vote and do not report the result. The vote count, the failed alternatives and the ordinance details in this article come from TPR/San Antonio Report and CultureMap.

Why It Matters Beyond San Antonio

For developers, the change replaces a predictable by-right path with a discretionary one. Under the new rules, every site selection in San Antonio city limits leads to a public council vote. For residents and neighborhood groups, every proposed facility now goes to a council vote, and TPR reports residents will be able to voice their opinion on each one. The local outlets that covered the vote did not report how many data center projects are currently pending in the city or how the new rule applies to them.

What Happens Next

Under the amended code, each new data center proposed in an eligible commercial or industrial district in San Antonio must apply for a Specific Use Authorization, and City Council must approve it before construction, according to TPR and CultureMap. When a project is near one of the South Side's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, TPR reports that council will set specific setbacks, and CultureMap reports that council may weigh distance from sites such as the San Antonio Missions. The sources do not report an effective date or any SUA applications scheduled for a hearing yet.

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