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Data Centers & Crypto Mining

How Fontana Handles Data Centers & Crypto Mining: A Practical Guide

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

Fontana maintains 107 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with data centers & crypto mining. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Fontana falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Data Center Noise Limits

Fontana sets no numeric dBA property-line limit. Its noise ordinance, FMC Sections 18-62 and 18-63, bans loud, excessive, impulsive or intrusive sound audible 50 feet from the source that disturbs persons of ordinary sensibilities - so data-center chillers and generators are judged by nuisance, not decibels.

Key details: Code: FMC Sec. 18-62 / 18-63. Standard: 50-foot nuisance test. Numeric dBA limit: None. General Plan: 65 dBA CNEL compatibility. Enforcement: Infraction or misdemeanor.

Noise carrying 50 feet or more that disturbs neighbors violates FMC Section 18-63 and is enforced by Fontana as an infraction or misdemeanor, with administrative fines and abatement.

Data Center Zoning & Siting

Fontana has no data-center use category. A data center locates in the M-1 Light Industrial or M-2 Heavy Industrial zone, classified by Planning into the nearest Table 30-530 use - a manufacturing, business-park, or warehousing use - by-right or by Conditional Use Permit depending on that classification.

Key details: Dedicated ordinance: None. Industrial zones: M-1, M-2. Data-center use category: None. Buffer rule (Ord. 1891): Warehouses only. CEQA: Applies to discretionary permits.

Building or operating a data center outside an M-1 or M-2 industrial zone, or without a required Conditional Use Permit, is a Zoning and Development Code violation enforced by Fontana Code Enforcement through stop-work orders and penalties.

Compared to other cities, Fontana takes a harder line on data center zoning & siting. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Fontana's data centers & crypto mining rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Fontana is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Fontana's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.