SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to approve the second reading of ordinances rezoning 345.27 acres of city-owned land northeast of town from Ranch & Estate to Light Manufacturing, with a Comprehensive Plan amendment to Industrial.
The site—annexed in 2025 near an AEP substation—is positioned as preparation for a potential hyperscale data center by Skybox Datacenters.
Councilman Patrick Keeley (SMD 4, whose district includes the area) cast the lone dissenting vote. The measure passed with support from Mayor Tom Thompson and council members Tommy Hiebert, Harry Thomas, Joe Self, Karen Hesse Smith, and Mary Coffey.
Planning and Development Services Director Aaron Vannoy presented a detailed case for Light Manufacturing zoning, emphasizing built-in protections: a 55-decibel noise limit at property lines, prohibitions on vibrations, odors, and emissions beyond lot lines, and mandatory urban design review for structures over 25,000 square feet (requiring buffering, landscaping, and light spill controls).
Vannoy described the area's isolation (3.6 miles from the nearest developed residential zone in PaulAnn), proximity to power, rail, and future interstate routes, and alignment with existing industrial uses. He argued the designation offers stronger community safeguards than alternatives and that a Planned Development overlay was unnecessary.
City Manager Daniel Valenzuela and staff noted additional leverage through a required Chapter 380 economic development agreement for any land sale, allowing enforceable deed restrictions on use, infrastructure, and performance.
About 20 residents signed up to speak across general and item-specific comment periods:
- Primary concerns: Water usage, potential diesel generator noise/pollution, transparency issues (NDAs, limited direct Skybox access), Texas vested rights risks, and calls for Planned Development conditions or tabling for a public town hall.
- Support: Chamber of Commerce representatives highlighted tax base growth without added service demands and warned that delay risks projects moving to unregulated county land.
Mayor Thompson stressed urgency: "I think any delay in an approval to move forward with this puts the city at risk of losing any control... Anything that was brought up today would be totally irrelevant and wasted" if development shifts outside city limits.
The rezoning is now final. Future steps include potential 380 agreement negotiations, subdivision platting, and site plan review—stages where specifics on water, power, design, and additional conditions will be addressed.
Skybox representatives are scheduled to present at the February 17 economic summit.
You can watch the meeting HERE.
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