Mesa County updating land development code, including rules for data centers
Mesa County, Colorado is in the process of rewriting its land development code. A key change in the proposed code involves new regulations for data centers and battery facilities, which would initially be limited to industrial zones. The update aims to make rules easier to understand and address new types of development.
Mesa County, Colorado, is currently undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of its land development code, which governs what can be built and where in the county's unincorporated areas. The initiative began in 2025 (likely a transcription error for 2023 or 2024, given the context). According to the county's Community Development Director, Moberg, the primary goal is to create a more user-friendly and understandable code for the public, while also addressing emerging types of development.
One significant change in the proposed code specifically addresses data centers and battery facilities. Moberg explained that the current proposal would initially limit both data centers and battery facilities to I-1 and I-2 industrial zones. This restriction would effectively exclude these developments from agricultural and other non-industrial areas, which constitute a relatively small portion of the county's land. The update also seeks to increase housing density in commercial areas to help address the housing shortage.