Red Oak planning commission declines to recommend temporary parking for data center after residents raise noise, dust and tree-loss concerns

The Red Oak Planning & Zoning Commission voted not to recommend a proposed amendment to PD Plan Development 164 that would have allowed large areas of temporary construction parking for a data center under construction.

The amendment, presented May 26, would have revised PD-164 (Revised 3 to Revised 4) to permit construction logistics and temporary parking on roughly 61.63 acres north of Standback Road near Bachelor Road and the Ellis County line. Michael Landwear, the project's civil engineer with Kimley Horn, told commissioners the applicant seeks temporary flex-base parking for contractors, screened by chain-link fencing with mesh and limited to no lighting; the applicant said the areas would be restored and the parking removed within about three years.

Residents at the public hearing urged the commission to reject the amendment. "They're bulldozing some of the trees and brush in that area," said Emily Steele, a nearby resident, who called the area a cherished rural view and asked for protections for wildlife and community aesthetics. Charles Shackleford, a resident across from the proposed parking, said the development had eroded a promised buffer and urged that the 100-foot stepback from homes be preserved.

Technical and quality-of-life concerns echoed through public comment. Patrick Doo warned of low-frequency ground-borne vibration from large industrial chillers and pumps and urged the city to consider vibration limits used in other municipalities and industrial standards. Neighbors reported tree removal, headlight glare at night, increased dust from the proposed flex base, and traffic impacts; several speakers asked that construction traffic be routed only from Loop 9 and requested flaggers and better notification from the data center operator.

Databank representatives said steps had been taken to limit impacts. Joe Tilson, speaking for Databank, said all construction traffic is directed to Loop 9, that contractors were given a Loop 9 Google Maps coordinate, and that flaggers were used as needed. Tilson said the company plans roadway delineations and a roadway split so construction traffic cannot access the southern customer entrance once the first phase is complete. On drainage and surface choice, the applicant said silt fences and erosion control would be installed and described flex base as compacted aggregate intended to be temporary and removable; they acknowledged that flex base can produce dust and said watering or more permanent pavements are alternatives but more impactful and costly.

City staff confirmed the temporary parking would be limited to no more than three years from the date of passage, and that any extension would require returning to Planning & Zoning and city council for approval. Staff also said that lighting and setback conditions remain governed by the original PD and that screening distances shown on the plan place the screening fence several hundred feet from some nearby residences.

Commissioners expressed concern about the scale and duration of the proposal and about whether the promised buffers and tree cover would remain. After discussion, a motion to recommend approval of the PD amendment failed; the commission voted not to recommend the zoning change and asked that city council be informed of PNZ's specific concerns about trees, dust control, drainage, noise/vibration, access routing and public notice.

Because the Planning & Zoning Commission is advisory in Red Oak, the item will advance to the City Council for final action, accompanied by the commission's record of resident testimony and staff comments.