Pima County hears public input on proposed data center rules. Final vote expected in December
Pima County has paused new data center development in unincorporated areas for four months while officials develop zoning rules covering location, noise, water use and energy supplies. Residents have raised concerns about noise and light pollution, while county officials prepare the proposed code for Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Supervisors review.
Pima County officials are developing dedicated data center zoning rules after pausing new development in unincorporated areas. The proposed code would limit data centers larger than 25 acres to CI-2 industrial zones, require a conditional-use permit and public hearings, prohibit open-loop cooling systems, and establish requirements for water and energy supplies, noise, setbacks and backup-generator operation.
Residents submitted between 1,200 and 1,500 comments, many opposing data center development or raising concerns about noise, water use and energy consumption. The proposed rules are scheduled for Planning and Zoning Commission review in October and a Board of Supervisors vote in December, before the county's pause expires.
The debate also involves Project Blue, a contested $3.6 billion development by Beale Infrastructure, and Project Gravel, a proposed 160-acre data center near Sahuarita. Project Gravel was filed before the pause and is exempt from it, though county staff have not determined whether the new code would apply.