Greenwood, IN Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 55 decibels at property line
- Nighttime limit
- 50 decibels at property line
- Daytime hours
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Nighttime hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Applies to
- Data Center special exception, IL zone
Summary
In the City of Greenwood, Indiana, a data center approved as a special exception in the Industrial - Large Format zone may not exceed 55 decibels at the property line during the day and 50 decibels at night. Sec. 10-02-12 of the Unified Development Ordinance sets the standard, with daytime running 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and nighttime the remaining hours.
Uses permitted as special exceptions in the master use table above must adhere to the following special exception standards for the respective use: ... Noise levels from the data center must not exceed 55 decibels (dB) at the property line during daytime hours (7 AM to 10 PM) and 50dB during nighttime hours (10 PM to 7 AM). ... Any person who uses property in violation of this Ordinance shall be deemed to have committed a civil zoning violation and may be issued a citation by the designated enforcement entity. ... The monetary fine for each civil zoning violation shall be $50.00, except that for repeated civil zoning violation, the following fines shall apply: Second citation: $ 75.00 Each Citation in Excess of Two: $100.00
Full Breakdown
Because a data center can only be built in Greenwood as a special exception on Industrial - Large Format (IL) land under Sec. 10-02-11, the Board of Zoning Appeals cannot approve one without applying the added conditions in Sec. 10-02-12, 'Standards for Special Exceptions.' Among those, the noise limit is explicit and numeric rather than the vaguer 'unreasonable noise' language used in the city's general Noise Regulations at Sec. 6-277: a data center's noise 'must not exceed 55 decibels (dB) at the property line during daytime hours (7 AM to 10 PM) and 50dB during nighttime hours (10 PM to 7 AM).' That property-line measurement point means the limit is enforced at the boundary of the data center's own parcel, not at the nearest home, though the same section separately requires the facility to sit at least 1,000 feet from any residential property and behind an eight-foot landscaped berm, both of which work alongside the decibel cap to limit off-site noise impact.
The standard runs for the life of the special exception, and Community Development Services and the Planning Director can act on a documented exceedance the same way they act on any other special-exception condition that is not being met.
Violations & Fines
A data center that exceeds 55 decibels by day or 50 decibels by night at its property line is out of compliance with its special exception approval, a civil zoning violation under Sec. 10-04-09. The Planning Director issues a warning ticket, then a citation; fines run $50, $75, and $100 for a first, second, and later citation, with each day of continued exceedance a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Greenwood's decibel limit for a data center?
Is this the same as Greenwood's general noise ordinance?
Where is a data center's noise measured in Greenwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenwood
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