2026-027 - Amendments to Exhibit 9B, Zoning Ordinance, addition of Section 31, Data Center, to establish regulations governing Data Center FacilitiesORDINANCE NO., 2026-027
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, AMENDING
ZONING ORDINANCE NO. 1710, AS AMENDED, TO ESTABLISH DATA
CENTER USE REGULATIONS; ADOPT CHAPTER 9, EXHIBIT 913, § 315
"DATA CENTERS"; ADOPT DSM -002, "DATA CENTER
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS MANUAL;" AMEND THE LAND USE
MATRIX TO ESTABLISH PERMITTED AND SPECIFIC USE PERMIT
CLASSIFICATIONS FOR DATA CENTER USES; PROVIDE
DEFINITIONS, DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCEDURES; PROVIDE A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDE A
REPEALER CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING
A PENALTY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, WHEREAS, the City of Paris is a home -rule municipality operating
under the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas and possesses authority to
regulate zoning, land use, development, public infrastructure, subdivision, utilities,
construction, fire safety, and related matters within its jurisdiction to protect the public
health, safety, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City has adopted Zoning Ordinance No. 1710, codified as
Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, "Zoning Ordinance," of the Code of Ordinances of the City of
Paris, Texas, which regulate the use of land, buildings, structures, and premises within
the City; and
WHEREAS, the City's current zoning ordinance does not adequately identify
Data Centers as a defined lapd use and does not establish zoning districts, approval
procedures, classifications, or development standards applicable thereto; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that Data Centers constitute a unique land use
due to their electrical demand, water consumption, cooling systems, emergency power
systems, utility infrastructure, operational characteristics, and potential impacts on
surrounding properties, and therefore should be regulated independently from
warehouses, offices, manufacturing facilities, telecommunications facilities, utilities, and
other industrial uses; and
WHEREAS, the City Council further finds that appropriate regulation of Data
Centers is necessary to promote compatible land use patterns, protect public
infrastructure, preserve utility reliability, support emergency response capabilities, and
minimize adverse impacts associated with noise, lighting, traffic, emissions, water
demand, and other operational characteristics; and
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WHEREAS, the City Council desires to establish clear and predictable zoning,
development, and operational standards that encourage responsible investment while
providing an efficient and consistent review process for Data Center development within
the City; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the adoption of specialized development
standards through the Data Center Development Standards Manual (DSM -002) will
provide technical guidance and administrative procedures that may be updated as
technology and industry practices evolve without requiring frequent amendments to the
Zoning Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the City Council further finds that Data Center development requires
coordinated review among multiple City departments and utility providers to ensure
adequate infrastructure capacity, public safety, emergency access, engineering
coordination, and long-term operational compatibility; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend the Official Land Use Matrix to
establish appropriate zoning classifications and approval procedures for various
categories of Data Center development, including the use classifications of Permitted
with Standards (P*) and Specific Use Permit with Standards (SUP*), thereby providing a
flexible regulatory framework that may be applied to specialized land uses requiring
supplemental development standards; and
WHEREAS, on July 23, 2026, following notice and publication as required by
law, the Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a public hearing on the proposed
amendments to the City Zoning Ordinance, and following said hearing, made formal
recommendation to the City Council to approve the requested amendments; and
WHEREAS, on July 27, 2026, following notice and publication as required by
law, the City Council of the City of Paris conducted a public hearing on the proposed
amendments to the City Zoning Ordinance and the City Code of Ordinances, and
having considered the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and
the testimony and evidence introduced at said public hearing, found and determined
that approving the aforesaid amendments would be consistent with the City Zoning
Ordinance and the City Code of Ordinances, and in the best interests of the public
health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the City of Paris by a vote of 4 ayes and
1 nays.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PARIS, TEXAS:
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PARIS, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Findings Incorporated.
The findings and recitals set forth above are hereby found to be true and correct and
are incorporated into this Ordinance for all purposes.
SECTION 2. Amendment to Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, Zoning Ordinance, by Adding
Section 31, "Data Centers."
Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, "Zoning Ordinance," of the Code of Ordinances of the City of
Paris, Texas, is hereby amended by adding Section 31, "Data Centers," as set forth in
Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
SECTION 3. Adoption of DSM -002, Data Center Development Standards Manual.
(a) That the City of Paris DSM -002, Data Center Development Standards Manual,
together with all appendices, forms, checklists, exhibits, and amendments thereto, is
hereby adopted by reference as the City's administrative and technical standards
manual governing the review, development, construction, operation, and
decommissioning of Data Centers.
(b) DSM -002 is attached hereto as Exhibit B and incorporated herein for all purposes.
(c) DSM -002 shall apply to all Data Centers regulated by Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, Section
31, "Data Centers," and shall govern the review, approval, permitting, inspection,
operation, monitoring, modification, discontinuance, decommissioning, and adaptive
reuse of such facilities
(d) DSM -002 shall not independently authorize a land use, create a zoning district,
amend the Land Use Matrix, waive a Specific Use Permit requirement, allow a Data
Center in the Agricultural (A) District, or authorize a Data Center in any district where
such use is not eligible under Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, Zoning Ordinance, Section 31,
"Data Centers."
(e) In the event of a conflict between DSM -002 and Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, Zoning
Ordinance, Section 31, "Data Centers," Section 31 shall control as to zoning district
eligibility, land use authorization, Specific Use Permit requirements, and legislative
approval criteria.
Page 3 of 25
SECTION 4. Administration and Revisions to DSM -002
a) The City Manager or designee shall administer DSM -002 and may consult with the
Building Official, City Planner, City Engineer, Fire Marshal, Public Works Director, and
other affected City departments as necessary.
(b) The City Manager or designee may issue written interpretations, forms, checklists,
routing procedures, technical memoranda, and administrative guidance necessary for
administration and implementation of DSM -002.
(c) The City Manager or designee may approve minor administrative revisions to DSM -
002, including formatting corrections, typographical corrections, reference updates,
application forms, checklists, routing procedures, departmental title changes, and
revisions required by state or federal law, provided that such revisions do not materially
alter zoning policy, district eligibility, development requirements, public infrastructure
obligations, or substantive design and use standards.
(d) Major revisions to DSM -002 affecting zoning district eligibility, data center
classifications, Specific Use Permit requirements, minimum land use standards,
development requirements, public infrastructure obligations, utility requirements,
decommissioning requirements, financial assurance requirements, or substantive
design and use standards shall require City Council approval.
(e) The current adopted version of DSM -002 shall be maintained by the City and made
available to the public through the City's official website or other City -designated
location.
SECTION 5. Conforming Amendments to Zoning Ordinance No. 1710.
That Zoning Ordinance No. 1710, as amended, including Sections 8-100, 8-103, and
12-100, is hereby amended as set forth in Exhibit C, attached hereto and incorporated
herein as if fully set forth verbatim.
SECTION 6. Coordination with Adopted Codes, Manuals, and Standards.
(a) Data Centers shall comply with Chapter 9, Exhibit 9B, Section 31, "Data Centers,"
DSM -002, the City's adopted construction codes, Technical Standards Manual,
Engineering Standard Details Book, utility standards, subdivision regulations, and all
other applicable federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, regulations, permits,
approvals, and technical standards.
(b) Any Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) associated with a Data Center shall
comply with the City's adopted BESS ordinance, BESS manual (DSM -003), fire code,
building code, electrical code, and all applicable state and federal requirements.
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(c) A Data Center and associated BESS proposed as one integrated project may be
reviewed through one Specific Use Permit when the BESS is accessory to the Data
Center and included in the Data Center application. A separate Specific Use Permit may
be required if the BESS is proposed as a separate principal use, added after Data
Center approval as a material change, serves uses other than the Data Center,
materially increases site impacts, or is otherwise required by City Council as a condition
of approval.
(d) Approval of a Data Center use, whether by right or through a Specific Use Permit,
shall not relieve the applicant of the obligation to obtain any other permit, approval,
agreement, or authorization required by this Code or other applicable law.
SECTION 7. No Vested Right Created.
Nothing in this Ordinance or DSM -002 shall be construed to create a vested right to
approval of any application, permit, Specific Use Permit, site plan, building permit,
certificate of occupancy, or other development approval. All applications shall be
reviewed in accordance with the ordinances, regulations, and standards applicable at
the time a complete application is submitted, except as otherwise provided by
applicable law.
SECTION 8. Conflicts.
If any provision of this Ordinance or its exhibits conflicts with a previously adopted
ordinance or provision of the Code of Ordinances, this Ordinance shall control to the
extent of the conflict unless otherwise required by state or federal law.
Where a conflict exists between DSM -002 and an adopted ordinance, the ordinance
shall control. Where a conflict exists between DSM -002 and an adopted construction
code, fire code, technical standard, utility standard, or applicable state or federal
requirement, the more restrictive provision shall apply unless otherwise required by law.
SECTION 9. Repealer Clause.
That all provisions of the ordinances of the City of Paris, Texas, in conflict with the
provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed, and all other provisions of the
ordinances of the City of Paris not in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance shall
remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. Savings Clause.
That the repeal of any ordinance or part of ordinances affected by the enactment of this
ordinance shall not be construed as abandoning any action now pending under or by
virtue of such ordinance or as discontinuing, abating, modifying, or altering any penalty
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accruing or to accrue, or as affecting any rights of the municipality under any section or
provisions of any ordinance at the time of passage of this ordinance.
SECTION 11. Severability Clause.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or provision of this Ordinance is
held invalid, unconstitutional, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such
holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions, and the City Council
declares it would have adopted the remaining portions despite such invalidity.
SECTION 12. Penalty Clause.
Any person, firm, corporation, owner, operator, applicant, contractor, or other
responsible party violating any provision of this Ordinance, Section 31, "Data Centers,"
DSM -002, or any permit, approval, agreement, or condition issued pursuant thereto
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a
fine as provided in Section 1.01.009 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Paris and
applicable law.
Each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense. The City may also pursue any
civil, administrative, equitable, injunctive, abatement, or other remedy authorized by law.
SECTION 13. Effective Date.
This Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon passage and publication as
required by law.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 27th day of July, 2026.
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Page 6 of 25
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Page 6 of 25
EXHIBIT
CHAPTER 9, EXHIBIT 913, ZONING ORDINANCE
§ 31. DATA CENTERS
Chapter 9, Exhibit 9B, Zoning Ordinance, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Paris,
Texas, is hereby amended by adding a new Section 31, "Data Centers," to read as
follows:
§ 31-100. Purpose and intent.
The purpose of this section is to establish zoning regulations for Data Centers and
related facilities in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; promote
orderly development; protect existing and planned residential, commercial, retail, public,
institutional, agricultural, and mixed-use areas; preserve the City's long-term land use
and infrastructure planning objectives; and ensure that Data Centers are developed in
accordance with the City's adopted Data Center Development Standards Manual.
Data Centers are hereby recognized as a distinct land use and shall not be classified as
a warehouse, office, utility, telecommunications facility, public utility, manufacturing use,
or general industrial use unless expressly stated in this Zoning Ordinance.
§ 31-101. Definitions.
For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned
below. Additional technical definitions, classifications, subtypes, and interpretation
criteria shall be set forth in DSM -002, Data Center Development Standards Manual.
Battery Energy Storage System or BESS. - Battery energy storage system as
defined and regulated by the City's adopted BESS regulations and BESS manual, as
amended.
Data Center Development Standards Manual or DSM -002. - The City of Paris Data
Center Development Standards Manual adopted by ordinance and incorporated by
reference as the administrative, technical, design, review, and use standards manual for
Data Centers.
Data Center. -A building, structure, facility, site, or portion thereof used or intended to
be used primarily to house computer systems, servers, data storage equipment,
networking equipment, telecommunications equipment, digital processing equipment,
artificial intelligence computing equipment, high-performance computing equipment, or
similar equipment for the storage, processing, management, transmission, or
distribution of digital data. The term includes associated and accessory electrical,
Page 7 of 25
mechanical, cooling, security, fire protection, backup power, fuel, battery energy
storage, utility, and support infrastructure.
High-intensity Data Center. -A Data Center classified under DSM -002 as a hyperscale
data center, artificial intelligence data center, high-performance computing facility, data
center campus, large colocation data center, or other high -load or high -impact Data
Center use due to scale, electrical demand, water or wastewater demand, cooling
requirements, exterior equipment, generator capacity, fuel storage, BESS use,
substation requirements, or similar characteristics.
Limited Data Center. -A Data Center classified under DSM -002 as a limited -scale,
small-scale, adaptive reuse, edge, enterprise, or similar lower -impact Data Center use
that is located within an existing lawful building or otherwise determined to have limited
land use, utility, noise, cooling, exterior equipment, power, generator, fuel, and
infrastructure impacts.
Material Change. A change to an approved Data Center development, facility,
operation, or associated infrastructure that materially changes the approved
development or its impacts and may require additional review or approval under this
Section, DSM -002, or other applicable City regulations.
Materially Changes. To alter, modify, replace, expand, intensify, or otherwise affect a
Data Center facility, operation, or associated infrastructure in a manner that may
reasonably increase or change its impacts on public health, safety, welfare,
infrastructure, utility demand, emergency response, environmental conditions, or
compliance with applicable regulations. Routine maintenance, repairs, replacement of
equipment with substantially equivalent equipment, software or firmware updates, and
other activities that do not increase or significantly alter operational impacts shall not
constitute a material change.
Operational Intensification. An increase in the operational characteristics of a Data
Center, including electrical demand, cooling capacity, water demand, wastewater
generation, equipment density, generator capacity, Battery Energy Storage System
capacity, or similar operational characteristics that may increase impacts on public
infrastructure or surrounding properties.
Permitted with Standards (P*). A land use permitted by right within the applicable
zoning district, provided the development complies with this Section, DSM -002, all
applicable City regulations, approved development plans, and all other required permits
and approvals.
Substantial Modification. Any physical expansion, reconstruction, alteration,
replacement, or operational change to a Data Center or associated infrastructure that
materially changes the approved site layout, building area, utility demand, cooling
Page 8 of 26
capacity, electrical capacity, emergency power systems, traffic generation, noise
characteristics, water consumption, wastewater generation, or other operational
characteristics such that additional review or approval may be required under this
Section, DSM -002, or other applicable City regulations. Routine maintenance, repair,
replacement in kind, and minor modifications that do not materially change the
approved development or its operational impacts shall not be considered a substantial
modification.
SUP*. -A Specific Use Permit required for a Data Center use, subject to compliance
with this section, DSM -002, any applicable BESS requirements, the City's adopted
construction codes, the City's adopted Technical Standards Manual, approved site plan,
approved engineering plans, approved fire protection and emergency response
requirements, and all conditions of approval.
§ 31-102. Applicability.
(a) This section applies to all Data Centers, Limited Data Centers, High -Intensity Data
Centers, Data Centers with BESS, Data Center campuses, and Data Center accessory
infrastructure within the corporate limits of the City.
(b) A Data Center may be established only where authorized by the Official Land Use
Matrix.
(c) Data Center uses designated as P* in the Official Land Use Matrix shall comply with
this Section, DSM -002, and all other applicable City regulations. Data Center uses
designated as SUP* shall obtain approval of a Specific Use Permit in addition to
complying with this Section, DSM -002, and all other applicable City regulations.
(d) A server room, IT equipment room, telecommunications room, computer closet, or
similar internal building area serving a lawful principal use shall not be considered a
Data Center where such use is clearly accessory to the principal use and does not
function as an independent Data Center use.
(e) This section shall not exempt any project from compliance with any other applicable
City ordinance, zoning requirement, subdivision regulation, adopted construction code,
fire code, electrical code, plumbing code, mechanical code, property maintenance code,
technical standard, utility requirement, development agreement, platting requirement,
permit, or condition of approval.
§ 31-103. District eligibility.
(a) Data Centers shall be permitted only in the zoning districts expressly identified in this
section and the Land Use Matrix.
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(b) No Data Center shall be permitted in the Agricultural (A) District. Property located in
the Agricultural (A) District must first be rezoned to an eligible zoning district before any
Data Center use may be considered.
(c) Rezoning of property from Agricultural (A) District to an eligible zoning district shall
not create any entitlement to Data Center approval. Any required SUP*, site plan, plat,
engineering approval, utility approval, building permit, fire permit, certificate of
occupancy, development agreement, and other City approvals shall remain
independently required.
(d) Data Center classifications shall be permitted only in the zoning districts identified in
the Official Land Use Matrix.
(e) The applicable approval classification, whether by P* or SUP*, shall be as
established by the Official Land Use Matrix.
(f) Nothing in this Section shall authorize a Data Center use in a zoning district where
such use is not identified in the Official Land Use Matrix.
(g) A Data Center with BESS may be considered through one integrated SUP* when the
Data Center and BESS are proposed as one coordinated project. The BESS component
shall comply with the City's adopted BESS regulations and manual. A separate SUP
shall not be required for the BESS component unless the BESS is proposed as a
separate principal use, is added later as a material change, serves uses other than the
Data Center, or is otherwise required by the City Council as a condition of approval.
(h) No Data Center shall be permitted in any residential, multifamily, manufactured
home, neighborhood service, general retail, public land/institutional, parks/recreation, or
Agricultural zoning district.
§ 31-104. Application procedure.
To ensure compliance with the standards set forth in this Ordinance and in the DSM -
002, a person seeking to construct and/or operate any Data Center, whether by P* or
SUP*, shall make application according to the procedures set forth in DSM -002.
Approval of a Data Center application requiring and SUP* shall require approval of the
City Council. Approval of a Data Center application in a zoning district in which a Data
Center is permitted by right with standards (P*) will be made done administratively
provided that the applicant has satisfied all requirements set forth herein and in DSM -
002. Any application for a Data Center via P* shall be denied if said requirements are
not met.
Page 10 of 25
§ 31-105. Central Area and nonindustrial limitations.
(a) A Limited Data Center proposed in the Central Area (CA), Commercial (C), or Office
(0) District shall be approved only if the City Council finds that the use is compatible
with the district and will not impair pedestrian activity, active storefronts, downtown
vitality, historic character, surrounding land uses, or future commercial and retail
development.
(b) A Limited Data Center in the Central Area (CA) District shall not occupy required
active ground -floor frontage unless expressly approved as part of the SUP*.
(c) A Limited Data Center in the Central Area (CA), Commercial (C), or Office (0) District
shall not include high-intensity exterior equipment, major generator yards, utility -scale
BESS, large fuel storage, outdoor cooling towers, new dedicated substations, or similar
infrastructure unless expressly approved by City Council and determined to be
compatible with the district.
(d) No applicant may use the Limited Data Center classification to establish, expand, or
operate a High -Intensity Data Center in a district where a High -Intensity Data Center is
not allowed.
§ 31-106. Planned Development Districts.
A Data Center may be considered within a Planned Development (PD) District only if:
(a) the PD ordinance, concept plan, development plan, or approved land use table
expressly authorizes the applicable Data Center classification;
(b) the comparable base zoning district identified by the PD ordinance would otherwise
authorize the applicable Data Center classification.;
(c) the Data Center complies with Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, Zoning Ordinance, § 31, "Data
Centers," DSM -002, and all applicable City requirements; and
(d) the Data Center is approved by SUP* unless the PD ordinance expressly
establishes an equivalent or more restrictive public hearing and discretionary approval
process.
A PD District shall not be used to authorize a High -Intensity Data Center, Hyperscale
Data Center, AI/HPC Data Center, Data Center Campus, or Data Center with accessory
BESS in a location where such use would be inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan,
Future Land Use Plan, surrounding land uses, infrastructure capacity, or public health,
safety, and welfare.
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§ 31-107. Specific Use Permit (SUP*) --Approval.
(a) A Specific Use Permit* shall be required only for Data Center uses designated as
SUP* in the Official Land Use Matrix.
(b) An application for SUP* approval shall comply with this section, the Zoning
Ordinance, DSM -002, and all other applicable City requirements.
(c) The Planning and Zoning Commission shall review the SUP* application and make a
recommendation to the City Council.
(d) The City Council may approve, approve with conditions, or deny the SUP*.
(e) Approval of a Specific Use Permit shall not relieve the applicant from obtaining any
other permit, approval, agreement, authorization, or development approval required by
this Code or other applicable law.
(f) The City Council may impose conditions necessary to protect the public health,
safety, and welfare and to mitigate land use, infrastructure, utility, fire protection,
emergency response, environmental, operational, decommissioning, and compatibility
impacts.
§ 31-108. Permitted with Standards (P*)
(a) A Data Center use will be permitted by right in zoning districts designated by P* in
the Official Land Use Matrix by making application with the City as provided in DSM -
002, if, and only if, the application complies with this section, the Zoning Ordinance,
DSM -002, and all other applicable City requirements.
(b) City Staff shall review the P* and approve or deny the application.
(c) Approval of the application shall not relieve the applicant from obtaining any other
permit, approval, agreement, authorization, or development approval required by this
Code or other applicable law.
§ 31-109. Approval criteria—SUP*.
The City Council shall not approve an SUP* for a Data Center unless the City Council
finds that the proposed use:
(a) is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Plan;
(b) is located in a zoning district eligible for the proposed Data Center classification;
(c) is compatible with surrounding existing and planned land uses;
(d) will not materially impair existing or future residential, commercial, retail, mixed-use,
public, institutional, park, open -space, or agricultural development areas;
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(e) will not prematurely convert land needed for orderly future growth, commercial
development, residential development, public infrastructure, or community facilities;
(f) has adequate access for fire, emergency medical services, police, public works,
utility, and emergency response;
(g) has or will provide adequate water, wastewater, stormwater, drainage, and
transportation infrastructure;
(h) provides sufficient information regarding electric service, electric infrastructure,
backup power, generators, substations, transformers, fuel storage, cooling systems, and
BESS, if applicable;
(i) adequately mitigates noise, vibration, light, glare, heat, visual impacts, traffic, security
fencing, exterior equipment, generator testing, fuel storage, and operational impacts;
0) complies with DSM -002;
(k) complies with the City's adopted BESS requirements when BESS is proposed;
(1) complies with the City's adopted construction codes, fire code, electrical code,
plumbing code, mechanical code, property maintenance code, Technical Standards
Manual, Engineering Standard Details Book, utility standards, and other applicable
technical standards;
(m) provides acceptable decommissioning, site restoration, and adaptive reuse
provisions as required by DSM -002; and
(n) will not otherwise be detrimental to the public health, safety, or general welfare.
§ 31-110. Approval criteria—P*.
City Staff shall not approve a permit or application for a Data Center in a zoning district
designated as P* unless the applicant shows that the proposed use:
(a) is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Plan;
(b) is located in a zoning district eligible for the proposed Data Center classification;
(c) is compatible with surrounding existing and planned land uses;
(d) will not materially impair existing or future residential, commercial, retail, mixed-use,
public, institutional, park, open -space, or agricultural development areas;
(e) will not prematurely convert land needed for orderly future growth, commercial
development, residential development, public infrastructure, or community facilities;
(f) has adequate access for fire, emergency medical services, police, public works,
utility, and emergency response;
Page 13 of 25
(g) has or will provide adequate water, wastewater, stormwater, drainage, and
transportation infrastructure;
(h) provides sufficient information regarding electric service, electric infrastructure,
backup power, generators, substations, transformers, fuel storage, cooling systems, and
BESS, if applicable;
(i) adequately mitigates noise, vibration, light, glare, heat, visual impacts, traffic, security
fencing, exterior equipment, generator testing, fuel storage, and operational impacts;
(j) complies with DSM -002;
(k) complies with the City's adopted BESS requirements when BESS js proposed;
(1) complies with the City's adopted construction codes, fire code, electrical code,
plumbing code, mechanical code, property maintenance code, Technical Standards
Manual, Engineering Standard Details Book, utility standards, and other applicable
technical standards;
(m) provides acceptable decommissioning, site restoration, and adaptive reuse
provisions as required by DSM -002; and ,
(n) will not otherwise be detrimental to the public health, safety, or general welfare.
§ 31-111. DSM -002 adopted as standards for P* and SUP* review.
(a) DSM -002 is adopted by reference as the City's Data Center Development Standards
Manual and shall apply to all Data Centers regulated by this. section.
(b) DSM -002 may establish application requirements, design standards, operational
standards, review procedures, classification criteria, technical study requirements,
infrastructure standards, inspection procedures, forms,. checklists, and other
administrative or technical standards necessary to implement this Section.
(c) DSM -002 shall have the force and effect provided by the adopting ordinance and this
section, except that DSM -002 shall not independently authorize a land use, create a
zoning district, amend the Land Use Matrix, waive a'SUP*' requirement, allow a Data
Center in the Agricultural (A) District, or authorize a Data Center in any district where
such use is not eligible under this section.
(d) Where this section and DSM -002 conflict, this section -shall control as to zoning
district eligibility, P* and SUP* requirements, legislative approval criteria, and land use
authorization.
(e) Where DSM -002 conflicts with an adopted construction code, fire'code, technical
standard, utility standard, state law, or federal law, the more restrictive provision shall
apply unless otherwise required by law.
Page 14 of 25
§ 31-112. Administration and interpretation.
(a) The City Manager or designee shall administer this Section and may consult with the
Building Official, City Planner, City Engineer, Fire Marshal, Public Works Director, utility
providers, and other affected departments as necessary.
(b) The City Manager or designee may issue written interpretations, forms, checklists,
routing procedures, and administrative guidance necessary to implement this section
and DSM -002.
(c) The City Manager or designee may determine whether a proposed use is an
accessory server room, Limited Data Center, General Data Center, High -Intensity Data
Center, Data Center with BESS, or other Data Center classification based on this
section and DSM -002.
(d) Any interpretation under this section shall not authorize a use'prohibited 'by this
section, waive a P* or SUP* requirement, or alter zoning district eligibility.
§ 31-113. Revisions to DSM -002.
(a) DSM -,002 may be revised in accordance with the revision procedures established in
the adopting ordinance and DSM -002.
(b) Minor administrative revisions,, formatting corrections,_ -typographical corrections,
reference updates, application forms, checklists, routing procedures, and revisions
required by state or federal law may be approved administratively by the City Manager
or designee.
(c) Major revisions affecting zoning district eligibility, Data Center:classifications, SUP*
requirements, minimum land use standards, development requirements, public
infrastructure obligations, decommissioning requirements, financial assurance
requirements, or substantive design and use standards shall require,City Council
approval.
(d) The current adopted version of DSM -002 shall.be maintained by the City and made
available to the public through the City's official website or other City -designated
location.
§ 31-114. Water, wastewater, and utility coordination.
(a) A Data Center shall not be approved unless the City'determines'that water,
wastewater, drainage, and public infrastructure impacts have been adequately
evaluated and addressed.
(b) A Data Center applicant shall provide water demand, wastewater demand, cooling
system, discharge, backflow prevention, cross -connection control, fire flow, and
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infrastructure information as required by DSM -002, the Technical Standards Manual,
and other applicable City requirements.
(c) The City may require a development agreement, utility service agreement,
infrastructure agreement, or other lawful agreement to address public infrastructure,
utility service, capacity, phasing, cost responsibility, easements, maintenance, and
related requirements.
(d) The City does not provide electric service. Approval of an SUP* or P* permit shall not
constitute approval of electric service, electric utility capacity, or electric utility
infrastructure. The applicant shall provide electric service and infrastructure information
as required by DSM -002.
§ 31-115. BESS coordination.
(a) Any BESS associated with a Data Center shall comply with'the" City's adopted BESS
ordinance, BESS manual (DSM -003), fire code, 6Uilding code, electrical code, and all
applicable state and federal requirements.
(b) A Data Center and associated BESS proposed as one integrated project may be
reviewed through one SUP*, provided the SUP* application includes the BESS
component and the BESS is accessory to the Dat4 ddhter.
(c) A separate SUP.may be required if the BESS is proposed as a principal use, is
added after SUP* approval as a material change, serves a use other than the Data
Center, materially increases'site impacts, or otherwise requires separate approval under
the City's BESS regulations or the SUP* conditions.
§ 31-116'. Decommissioning, discontinuance, and adaptive reuse.
(a) Each Data Center shall comply with the decommissioning, discontinuance,
abandonment, site restoration, and adaptive'reuse requirements established in DSM -
002 and' any SUP* conditions.
(b) The City may require Data Center applicant (whether through SUP* or P*) to provide
a decommissioning arid adaptive reuse plan addr'essing discontinued operations,
obsolete'equipment; hazardoUs materials, cooling systems, fuel systems, BESS,
generators, electrical equipment, utility, disconnection or'stabilization; site security,
environmental conditions, building reuse,- infrastructure proposed to remain, and
financial assurance.
(c) No discontinued or abandoned Data Center shall be converted.to another principal
use unless the proposed use is permitted in the zpni•ng distriet or approved by rezoning,
SUP amendment, site -plan approval, or other required City approval.
Page 16 of 25 „
(d) The City may require financial assurance for decommissioning, site restoration,
environmental remediation, infrastructure removal, or site stabilization where authorized
by law and approved as part of the SUP* or P* permit.
§ 31-117: Material changes.
(a) A material change to an approved Data Center, whether allowed by P* or SUP*, shall
require review and approval before implementation.
(b) Material changes include, but are not limited to:
1. expansion of building area or data halls;
2. change in Data Center classification;
3. increase in approved electrical load;
4. change in cooling method;
5. increase in water demand or wastewater discharge;
6. addition or expansion of generators;
7. addition or expansion of fuel storage;
8. addition or expansion of BESS; , .
9. addition of Al or high-performance computing operations;
10. relocation or expansion of exterior equipment yards;
11. change in access, fire lanes, emergency response layout, or site circulation;
12. change affecting buffers, screening, landscaping, adjacent properties, or public
rights-of-way;
13. change in phasing or site layout; or
1.4. any other change determined by the City.Manager;or designee to materially
affect the basis for approval.
(c) Depending on the nature of the material change, the City may require administrative
approval, site plan amendment, building permit, fire permit, utility approval, and where
SUP* is required, an SUP* amendment, or new SUP*.
§ 31-118. Enforcement.
(a) It shall be unlawful to construct, operate, expand, alter, `convert; decommission,
abandon, or materially change a Data Center in violation of this Section, DSM -002, or
any permit, approval, agreement, or condition issued pursuant to this Section.
(b) The City may enforce this section through any lawful remedy, including but not
limited to notices of violation, stop work orders, denial or suspension of permits, denial
or revocation of certificates of occupancy, municipal court citations, civil`enforcement,
injunctive relief, abatement, enforcement of financial assurance, or other remedies
authorized by law.
(c) Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
Page 17 of '25 '
§ 31-119. Appeals.
(a) Administrative interpretations under this section may be appealed as provided by the
Zoning Ordinance or other applicable City ordinance.'
(b) An appeal shall not authorize a use prohibited by this section, waive a SUP* or P*
requirement, allow a Data Center in the Agricultural (A) District,-or authorize staff or an
appellate body to make a legislative zoning decision reserved to the City Council.
§ 31-120. No Vested Right Created
Nothing in this Section or DSM-002 shall be construed to create a vested right to
approval of any application, permit, Specific Use Permit, site plan, building permit,
certificate of occupancy, or other development approval. All applications shall be
reviewed in accordance with the ordinances, regulations, and standards applicable at
the time a complete application is submitted, except as otherwise provided by
applicable law.
Page 18 of 25
EXHIBIT B
City of Paris Development Standards Manual
DSM -002 — Data Centers
Version 1.0
Page 19 of 25
EXHIBIT C
CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO ZONING ORDINANCE NO. 1710
SECTIONS 8-100, 8-103, AND 12-100
Zoning Ordinance No. 1710, as amended, is hereby amended as set forth below for the
purpose of conforming the Zoning Ordinance to Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, Zoning
Ordinance, § 31, "Data Centers," and DSM -002, Data Center Development Standards
Manual.
SECTION 1. Amendment to Section 8-100 — Use Regulations / Land Use Matrix.
The LEGEND in 8-100 shall be amended to read as follows:
P Designates use permitted in district indicated.
Designates use prohibited in district indicated.
S Indicates use may be approved as Specific Use Permit (See Sec. 12)
P* Indicates use permitted in district indicated contingent upon compliance with
adopted standards and manuals.
SUP* Indicates use may be approved as Specific Use Permit contingent upon
compliance with adopted standards and manuals.
AC Designates use only allowed as accessory to a primary use
Section 8-103, including the Land Use Matrix or Table of Permitted Uses, is hereby
amended by deleting any existing row, listing, or use classification for "Data Center" and
replacing it with the following use classifications and approval requirements:
Data Center Use Classifications
Use
A
SF
-1
SF
-2
SF
-3
2F
4F
MF
-1
MF
-2
M
H
N
S
G
R
C
CA
O
PL
I
LI
HI
Accessory
server room
/IT
equipment
room
C
AC
AC
AC
C
C
AC
AC
C
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
serving a
lawful
principal
use
Page 20 of 25
Notes Applicable to Data Center Use Classifications
1. Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, all Data Center uses
designated as P* or SUP* shall comply with Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, § 31,
"Data Centers," DSM -002, all applicable adopted construction codes,
adopted fire code, engineering standards, approved development plans, and
all applicable conditions of approval.
Page 21 of 25
SF
SF
SF
2F
4F
MF
MF
M
N
G
C
CA
O
PL
LI
HI
Use
A
_1
-2
_3
_1
_2
H
S
R
I
Limited
SUP
SUP
SUP
_
P*/SUP
P*/SUP
Data Center
_
_
Edge Data
_
SUP
—
SUP
_
P*/SUP
P*/SUP
Center
General
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
—
_
_
—
—
—
p*
p*
Data Center
Colocation
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
P*
P*
Data Center
High -
Intensity
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
P*
P*
Data Center
Hyperscale
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
P*
P*
Data Center
Artificial
Intelligence
/ High-
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
P*
P*
P*
e
Computing
Data Center
Data Center
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
P*
P*
Campus
Data Center
with
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
P*
P*
accessory
BESS
Notes Applicable to Data Center Use Classifications
1. Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, all Data Center uses
designated as P* or SUP* shall comply with Chapter 9, Exhibit 913, § 31,
"Data Centers," DSM -002, all applicable adopted construction codes,
adopted fire code, engineering standards, approved development plans, and
all applicable conditions of approval.
Page 21 of 25
2. Accessory server rooms / IT equipment rooms are allowed only when
accessory to and serving a lawful principal use on the same lot, within the
same building, or as otherwise approved by the Building Official or City
Manager designee. An accessory server room / IT equipment room shall not
be used to establish a principal Data Center use.
3. Limited Data Centers and Edge Data Centers may be considered in the C,
CA, O, LI, and HI Districts only through SUP*. Such facilities shall comply
with DSM -002 and shall not be used to establish, expand, or operate a High -
Intensity Data Center, Hyperscale Data Center, AI/HPC Data Center, Data
Center Campus, or Data Center with accessory BESS in a district where
such use is not otherwise allowed.
4. General Data Centers and Colocation Data Centers are permitted only
within the Light Industrial (LI) and Heavy Industrial (HI) Districts where
authorized by the Official Land Use Matrix and shall comply with § 31, DSM -
002, and all other applicable City requirements.
5. High -Intensity Data Centers, Hyperscale Data Centers, AI/HPC Data
Centers, Data Center Campuses, and Data Centers with accessory
BESS are permitted only within the Heavy Industrial (HI) District where
authorized by the Official Land Use Matrix and shall comply with § 31, DSM -
002, and all other applicable City requirements..
6. Data Centers are prohibited in the Agricultural (A) District. Property
located in the Agricultural (A) District must first be rezoned to an eligible
zoning district before any Data Center use may be considered. Rezoning to
an eligible district shall not create any entitlement to Data Center approval.
7. In the Central Area (CA) District, a Limited Data Center or Edge Data
Center shall not impair active ground -floor frontage, pedestrian activity,
downtown vitality, historic character, streetscape quality, or surrounding land
use compatibility. The City Council may prohibit or condition street -facing
ground -floor Data Center use as part of SUP* approval.
8. A Data Center with accessory BESS may be reviewed through one
integrated SUP* when the Data Center and BESS are proposed as one
coordinated project and the BESS is accessory to the Data Center. The
BESS component shall comply with the City's adopted BESS ordinance,
BESS manual, fire code, building code, electrical code, and all applicable
state and federal requirements.
9. A separate SUP may be required for BESS if the BESS is proposed as a
separate principal use, added after Data Center SUP* approval as a material
Page 22 of 25
change, serves uses other than the Data Center, materially increases site
impacts, or is otherwise required by the City Council as a condition of
approval.
SECTION 2. Amendment to Section 8-200 — SPECIAL DEFINITIONS AND
EXPLANATIONS NOTED IN USE REGULATIONS.
Section 8-201 shall be amended by adding the following definition::
Accessory Server Room / IT Equipment Room. A room, suite, closet, cabinet, or
limited area within a lawful principal use that houses servers, networking equipment,
telecommunications equipment, data storage equipment, computer systems, or similar
information technology equipment primarily serving the principal use. This term does not
include a principal Data Center use.
Artificial Intelligence / High -Performance Computing Data Center or AI/HPC Data
Center. A Data Center principally designed, used, or marketed to support artificial
intelligence training, artificial intelligence inference, machine learning, high-density
computing, high-performance computing, advanced modeling, simulation, cryptographic
processing, or similar compute -intensive activity, as further classified by DSM -002.
Battery Energy Storage System or BESS. A battery energy storage system as
defined and regulated by the City's adopted BESS regulations and BESS manual, as
amended.
Colocation Data Center. A Data Center in which space, power, cooling, connectivity,
cabinets, cages, suites, server capacity, or data processing capacity is leased, licensed,
or otherwise provided to more than one customer, tenant, or end user, as further
classified by DSM -002.
Data Center. A building, structure, facility, site, or portion thereof used or intended to be
used primarily to house computer systems, servers, data storage equipment,
networking equipment, telecommunications equipment, digital processing equipment,
artificial intelligence computing equipment, high-performance computing equipment, or
similar equipment for the storage, processing, management, transmission, or
distribution of digital data. The term includes associated and accessory electrical,
mechanical, cooling, security, fire protection, backup power, fuel, battery energy
storage, utility, and support infrastructure.
Data Center Campus. Two or more Data Center buildings, data halls, or principal Data
Center facilities located on one or more contiguous or commonly controlled parcels, or
developed in coordinated phases, together with associated infrastructure, as further
classified by DSM -002.
Page 23 of 25
Data Center Development Standards Manual or DSM -002. The City of Paris Data
Center Development Standards Manual adopted by ordinance and incorporated by
reference as the administrative, technical, design, review, and use standards manual for
Data Centers.
Data Center with Accessory BESS. A Data Center that includes a BESS as accessory
infrastructure serving the Data Center and reviewed in accordance with § 31, DSM -002,
and the City's adopted BESS regulations.
Edge Data Center. A Limited Data Center designed to place computing, storage,
networking, telecommunications, or data processing capacity closer to users, devices,
networks, businesses, public facilities, or service areas in order to reduce latency or
support distributed computing, as further classified by DSM -002.
General Data Center. A Data Center that is not classified as a Limited Data Center,
Edge Data Center, Hyperscale Data Center, AI/HPC Data Center, High -Intensity Data
Center, or Data Center Campus under DSM -002.
High -Intensity Data Center. A Data Center classified under DSM -002 as a hyperscale
data center, artificial intelligence data center, high-performance computing facility, data
center campus, large colocation data center, or other high -load or high -impact Data
Center use due to scale, electrical demand, water or wastewater demand, cooling
requirements, exterior equipment, generator capacity, fuel storage, BESS use,
substation requirements, or similar characteristics.
Hyperscale Data Center. A large-scale Data Center or Data Center Campus designed
to support substantial data processing, storage, cloud computing, artificial intelligence,
high-performance computing, or digital infrastructure operations for a large technology
provider, cloud services provider, colocation provider, or major enterprise user, as
further classified by DSM -002.
Limited Data Center. A Data Center classified under DSM -002 as a limited -scale,
small-scale, adaptive reuse, edge, enterprise, or similar lower -impact Data Center use
that is located within an existing lawful building or otherwise determined to have limited
land use, utility, noise, cooling, exterior equipment, power, generator, fuel, and
infrastructure impacts.
SECTION 3. Amendment to Section 12-100.
Section 12-100, "Specific Use Permits," is hereby amended by adding the following
SUP types:
Limited Data Center—allowed by SUP* in the C and O zoning districts.
Edge Data Center—allowed by SUP* in the C and O zoning districts.
Page 24 of 26
SECTION 4. Add section 12-105 Data Center Specific Use Permit Requirements.
(a) A Specific Use Permit shall be required only for those Data Center classifications
designated as SUP* in the Official Land Use Matrix.
(b) Applications shall comply with § 31, DSM -002, and all other applicable City
regulations.
(c) A Data Center SUP* application shall be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning
Commission, which shall make a recommendation to the City Council.
(d) The City Council may approve, approve with conditions, or deny a Data Center
SUP*.
(e) The City Council may impose reasonable conditions necessary to protect the public
health, safety, welfare, infrastructure, utility systems, environmental quality, emergency
response capability, and compatibility with surrounding development.
(f) Approval of a Specific Use Permit does not relieve the applicant from obtaining any
other permit, approval, agreement, or authorization required by this Code or other
applicable law.
(g) A material change to an approved Data Center shall require review and approval in
accordance with § 31, DSM -002, the SUP* conditions, and all applicable City
requirements.
Page 25 of 25