San Marcos City Council voted 4 to 3 to define data centers in its land development code and make them ineligible citywide
The San Marcos City Council voted on June 16th, 2026 to define data centers in the city's zoning rules and make them ineligible for development anywhere inside the city. Council members cited concern that the facilities would draw water and energy away from the local community. The vote came after a long fight over a proposed campus and is the first ban of its kind by a Texas city. The city adopted an amended Land Development Code on the same date under ORD-2026-08, effective that day.
How to take part
The decision is made. The adopted Land Development Code, the adopted redlines and the code update summary guide are posted on the city's Code Updates page. Further amendments run through the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council on the published 2026 meeting calendar.
Where
1 county. In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos.
Dates
| Date | What | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | ordered | council vote of 4 to 3 to make data centers ineligible in every zoning district |
| 2026-06-16 | effective | adoption and effective date of the amended Land Development Code, ORD-2026-08 |
The evidence
Every fact above rests on one of these. The words are the source's own.
San Marcos City Council voted 4-3 on June 16 to define data centers in zoning laws and make them ineligible for development anywhere in the city.San Marcos becomes the first Texas city to ban data centers, testing its local control | KSAT Journalism
I think we debated this to death. The promised benefits remained speculative while many of the concerns raised by residents remained unresolved.San Marcos becomes the first Texas city to ban data centers, testing its local control | KSAT Journalism
The City of San Marcos updated the Land Development Code (LDC) and Design Manual which together guides how the city grows and develops.Code Updates | City of San Marcos, TX Primary source, official