Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones Proposes 'Option 3' Mandating 1,000-Foot Setbacks for Data Centers as San Antonio Probes East Side Facility

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones Introduces Rigorous 'Option 3' Data Center Regulations

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Navigating the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure across Bexar County, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones presented a comprehensive compromise regulatory framework—designated as 'Option 3'—during a pivotal City Council work session in mid-October 2026. Updating the Unified Development Code (UDC), Mayor Jones’s blueprint establishes strict statutory guardrails balancing economic development against natural resource conservation and neighborhood quality of life.

Under Option 3, prospective hyperscale data center developers must secure case-by-case City Council Specific Use Authorizations, adhere to mandatory 1,000-foot buffer setbacks from residential neighborhoods and public schools, conduct pre-filing community meetings 45 days in advance, and legally commit to replacing double the volume of tree canopy and greenspace removed during facility construction.

Council Evaluates Resource Demands and Edwards Aquifer Safeguards

Inside Municipal Plaza chambers, council members and environmental watchdogs scrutinized the intensive electric grid demands and cooling water volumes required by high-density server farms. Representatives from CPS Energy and San Antonio Water System (SAWS) confirmed that while the utilities possess robust industrial capacity, strict zoning barriers prohibiting high-consumption data campuses within the environmentally sensitive Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone are non-negotiable to safeguard the region’s primary drinking water source.

Council committees will conduct public hearings throughout late October to finalize statutory language before a binding council vote scheduled for November.

City Council Investigates Environmental and Community Impacts of East Side ICE Facility

In federal and community oversight, Mayor Ortiz Jones and City Council members instructed the City Attorney's Office to evaluate legal mechanisms regarding the proposed expansion of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility on the city’s East Side. Highlighting severe lack of federal transparency, zoning compatibility conflicts, and resident concerns regarding neighborhood property values, council leaders reaffirmed their commitment to protecting community stability and municipal jurisdiction.