Oro Valley prohibits stand-alone data centers
Oro Valley’s Town Council unanimously adopted a code amendment prohibiting stand-alone data centers in commercial and technical park zoning districts. Ancillary data centers operated by employers or the town remain allowed, while officials and residents called for further study of data centers’ effects on electricity, water, noise and environmental resources.
The Oro Valley Town Council unanimously approved an amendment prohibiting stand-alone data centers in the town’s commercial and technical park zoning districts. The measure, advanced by Vice Mayor and Mayor-elect Melanie Barrett, preserves allowances for ancillary data centers used by businesses such as Roche Tissue Diagnostics or by the town itself.
The action followed concerns from town officials that existing codes were not prepared for a potential data center proposal and Barrett’s request for a development moratorium while regulations were considered. Mayor Joe Winfield said the ban was the first step toward a broader analysis of data centers’ effects on land, water, electricity and community character. Councilmember-elect Rosa Dailey and resident Teri Lamour argued that the town should go further by prohibiting all stand-alone facilities, including those supporting artificial-intelligence infrastructure.