BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR DATA CENTERS, CAR WASHES

  

The Brenham City Council provided input and suggestions today (Thursday) to city staff regarding proposals for additional regulations on car washes and data centers.

The council indicated support for instituting water-saving measures by requiring new car washes or existing ones that undergo a large renovation to utilize water recycling systems or a private water well system.  Councilmembers were also in favor of officially defining data centers in the zoning ordinance and restricting them to the industrial zoning district as a specific use, meaning they would have to go through two public hearings and a property-specific analysis.

On the topic of car washes, Councilmember Dr. Paul LaRoche III said he was in favor of water reclamation systems.  Mayor Atwood Kenjura said the issue of water is critical and that the city needs to tighten up on it, adding that while the systems will pose additional costs for the businesses, he feels the city does not have any choice.  Councilmember Albert Wright said the city has to become more conservative with water moving forward so that things do not get out of hand.  Councilmember Steve Soman asked if existing car washes in the city could qualify for some form of incentive to convert to more water-efficient systems. 

When looking at data centers, Soman requested that the city’s definition for data centers be broad enough to prevent any companies from attempting to circumvent the city’s classifications.  Mayor Pro Tem Clint Kolby said he appreciates the proposal to require specific use permits for data centers and limit them to industrially-zoned areas.  He was unsure about additionally proposed stipulations that would prohibit the use of water-based cooling technology, saying that while he understands the intent behind them, the city does not know how technology will advance in the future, and that those issues could be addressed in the specific use permit process. 

City Manager Carolyn Miller said the city received an inquiry about redeveloping the old Sutherland’s location on Market Street as a data center.  She said the city is trying to avoid situations like that from occurring by limiting data centers to industrial zoning.

The official text amendments will go before the Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission and the city council for consideration at a later date. 

In other business, the council:

• Tabled an item requesting a noise variance for Washington County and its courthouse renovation project.
• Approved a professional services agreement with Strand Associates for engineering services to build a new, 300,000-gallon elevated storage tank along Highway 36 South.  The agreement is for an amount not to exceed $375,000. 
• Approved a rezoning request for 11.4 acres of land around Oak Tree Crossing Drive, moving from B-1 Local Business Mixed Use to R-1 Single-Family Residential Use.  The rezoning request came about via a petition from property owners in the Timber Oaks subdivision, who wished to protect the area’s residential use.
• Passed ordinances providing for no parking zones on the eastward side of Oak Tree Crossing, beginning at its intersection with Old Mill Creek Road and extending to the traffic circle ending at 1401 Timber Oaks Drive; and on the north side of West Alamo Street (Business 290) beginning at Seward Street and extending east for approximately 715 feet, ending at the railroad tracks.
• Accepted a bid for type “D” hot mix asphalt from Waller County Asphalt, in the amount of $100 per ton delivered to the job site and $90 per ton picked up at Waller County Asphalt by city staff.
• Held a work session for a presentation on the city’s first quarter financial report.
• Held an executive session discussion regarding the Brenham Municipal Airport and the transition to a new city manager with the coming retirement of Carolyn Miller.  No action was scheduled to be taken.

Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.