Mesa County updating land development code, including rules for data centers

Mesa County, Colorado, is undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of its land development code, a process that began in early 2025. The aim, according to Community Development Director Greg Moberg, is to enhance user-friendliness while integrating regulations for new development types, including data centers and battery facilities. The proposed code also addresses vacation rentals, utility production, solar facilities, and seeks to increase housing density in commercial areas to mitigate the local housing crisis.

A significant aspect of the update is the introduction of regulations for data centers, which are currently unregulated under the existing 2020 code. The draft proposal suggests initially restricting both data centers and battery facilities to I-1 and I-2 industrial zones. Moberg noted that parcels within these zones are generally small, suggesting the county would not see the large-scale data centers found elsewhere. However, he indicated that future considerations might include expanding data center allowances to other zones and imposing additional restrictions on lot sizes, building dimensions, or decommissioning requirements after the broader code update is finalized.

County officials are currently soliciting public feedback on the proposed code before it advances to the planning commission on October 15. The Board of County Commissioners is slated to review the code in November, marking the next critical steps in the approval process. Residents can access both clean and redline versions of the draft code for review.