Nevada County's General Plan Noise Element (Policy 9.1.2, Table 9.1) sets the noise ceiling. Data-center cooling and generators are measured at a neighboring home or school, where the limit is 55 dBA Leq daytime and 45 dBA Leq at night - 40 dBA at night for rural land.
Nevada County has no standalone noise ordinance; the General Plan Noise Element governs, applied through use-permit and CEQA review. Table 9.1 assigns 80 dBA Leq to M1/M2 industrial land, but note c measures the standard only on property containing a noise-sensitive land use - a residence, school, or hospital - anywhere on that property. So a data center's chillers and generators are held to the receptor limit: 55 dBA Leq daytime, 50 dBA evening, and 45 dBA Leq at night for residential land, or 40 dBA at night for rural land. Section 12.02.050 also bars M1 noise detectable outside the building above the Commercial standard. Projects likely to exceed them must submit a comprehensive noise study (Policy 9.1.13).
There is no fine schedule. The Planning Department enforces the standards through compliance inspections and complaints under Policy 9.1.3. A permitted data center that breaches its noise conditions faces notices of violation, required mitigation, and use-permit revocation.
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See how Nevada County's data center noise limits rules stack up against other locations.
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