Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones Pushes Tougher Data Center Rules Ahead of Thursday's Council Vote, and Defends the $442 Million Bond

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is pushing for stricter regulations on data centers and a greater investment in neighborhood improvements as City Council prepares for major discussions on both issues Thursday, News 4 San Antonio reported from her weekly interview. Jones said she recently visited a data center near a residential area and was troubled by how close its diesel generators were to a neighborhood playground and swimming pool. 'We were all of 650 feet from a playground, and similarly a swimming pool,' Jones said.

The mayor said her approach centers on three priorities - transparency, protecting public health and preserving property values - while acknowledging the growing demand for computing power in a city with a significant military and cybersecurity presence. Among the proposals she wants Council to consider are requiring council approval for data center permits, notifying residents 45 days before developers submit applications, holding at least two public meetings in affected neighborhoods, and requiring data centers to be at least 1,000 feet from residential areas.

Jones also supports addressing noise concerns, requiring developers to replace twice the amount of green space removed during construction, and enclosing and properly ventilating backup diesel generators to help reduce noise and air pollution. Her 1,000-foot line is tougher than the compromise the Zoning Commission backed earlier this month with 350-foot buffers (reported by this station as SQ-20261027-016), which heads to Council for the October 29 vote. In the same interview, Jones also defended her priorities for the city's proposed $442 million bond program.