(The Center Square) – Shreveport’s debate over data centers has set off a larger one between Mayor Tom Arceneaux, who urged the approval of a data center in the western portion of the city, and the Metropolitan Planning Commission, who was less enthusiastic.
The commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to ask Arceneaux to attend its March 4 meeting to clarify comments he made that raised concerns over its independence in city planning matters.
Arceneaux told local media outlets in December he is considering restructuring how the commission operates, suggesting that it move into a city department instead of continuing as a separate entity. Arceneaux criticized the commission’s voting record as “anti-business,” according to KEEL, the local radio station.
His remarks came after the commission failed in December to approve a permit for a 2.8 million-square-foot data center at Resilient Technology Park. Developers appealed to the city council, who unanimously approved it.
The mayor’s office did not respond to phone calls from The Center Square, and it’s not clear whether he will attend the March 4 meeting or if he is still pursuing a shakeup of the commission’s operations.
The move would streamline the development process and shift more accountability to the city council, making the city more competitive for major projects, Arceneaux told KTBS-TV.
The state Legislature established the commission in 1954 to review zoning and subdivision applications and “to help ensure that all development of property is built in such a manner that is in the best interests of its citizens,” according to the commission’s website.
Shreveport funds 82% of its budget and the Caddo Parish Commission covers the remaining 18%, according to the website. The city council and parish commission appoint the board’s nine members, who serve voluntary six-year terms.
Commissioner Bill Robertson asked staff to research its voting record in preparation for the March 4 meeting.
“I’m not too keen on what the mayor is suggesting, but I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and let him speak directly to us,” Robertson said at Wednesday’s meeting.
The commission’s vote on the data center resulted in a 4-4 tie after some members noted residents’ concerns over how it would affect local utilities, water usage and the environment.
Arceneaux has said the city has enough water to support the facility and that any additional electricity it needs will be paid for by its developers.
