CITY COUNCIL
What is now called the Highlander SM One Data Center was back on the San Marcos City Council agenda Tuesday. John Maberry was back before council attempting to get 64 acres of his property annexed into the city, as well as a Preferred Scenario Map Change and subsequent rezoning for the entire 200 acres, located at Francis Harris Lane, in order to allow for data center development.
According to city documents, the annexation request was approved by council on the first of two readings on Aug. 19, but Maberry chose to postpone in order to bring the item back at the same time as the zoning change.
According to previous reporting from the Daily Record, the council rejected his request to change the Preferred Scenario Map in August. The Planning and Zoning Commission had previously denied the request, so a supermajority vote by council would have been required to pass it, which was not received.
Maberry said that the restrictive covenants in the development contract with the city, which restrict what property owners can or cannot do with the land, were “enhanced” from the last time this was brought before council.
San Marcos City Council Member Amanda Rodriguez said she wanted a red-lined document displaying those enhancements prior to the next meeting.
When asked if utility rates would increase for customers in the area Maberry said, “any upgrades that have to happen to the grid — any upgrades to transmission or to substations — that cost will be borne by the developer explicitly.”
Rodriguez pointed out that the city got a lower bond rating “in terms of utilities” recently just because of how “unreliable” ERCOT is, adding that 246 people died in the winter storm as a result of the grid’s failure in 2021.
“I just want to mention that for the sake of conversation, for the sake of the public watching as to not think that this is a no-harm-done type of development,” she said.
The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the item on Jan.
13. City Council will have a public hearing with no action on Feb.
3. The council will consider it on first reading on Feb. 17 and second reading on March 3. A spokesperson for the city said to note that all dates are tentative until the agendas have been officially set by the mayor or posted by the city clerk.
