Imperial County moves to strip ‘by-right' status for Data Center developments
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors considered a resolution to eliminate 'by-right' zoning for data centers, aiming for stricter development guidelines, environmental oversight, and community benefit requirements. This sweeping proposal would reshape how data centers are approved in unincorporated county areas. The resolution was ultimately tabled for reconsideration in two weeks to allow county staff to refine it.
EL CENTRO – The Imperial County Board of Supervisors recently deliberated a significant resolution aimed at overhauling the approval process for data center developments across unincorporated county lands. Spearheaded by Board Chairwoman Peggy Price and Vice-Chairwoman Martha Cardenas-Singh, the proposal seeks to eliminate "by-right" zoning, a current provision that allows certain data center facilities to be built without discretionary reviews or full environmental oversight under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The proposed "Imperial County Data Center Development Guidelines" would mandate rigorous protective buffers, requiring data centers to maintain a minimum 1,000-foot setback from residential areas, schools, hospitals, and other sensitive community sites. Additionally, the guidelines aim to mitigate the substantial infrastructure demands, particularly concerning power and water, to prevent local taxpayers from bearing the costs.
Economically, the resolution seeks to ensure long-term local investments. It proposes mandating tech firms to prioritize hiring Imperial County residents and establish vocational partnerships or apprenticeship programs with local educational institutions. Developers would also be required to fund training pipelines if specialized local talent is unavailable. Furthermore, all future data center projects would need to commit to the Imperial County Good Neighbor Community Benefit Agreement Program, funding local initiatives in health, environment, and infrastructure.
Despite the comprehensive nature of the proposal, the Board tabled the resolution for two weeks, requesting county staff to return with a revised plan. Clerk of the Board Cynthia Medina noted that the resolution's intent is to carefully review projects as interest in data center development grows, establishing a uniform framework to protect local resources, infrastructure, and community interests rather than approving or rejecting specific projects.