The county Development Code sets stationary-source noise limits, measured at the nearest noise-sensitive property line. A data center next to homes cannot exceed 55 dB(A) daytime or 45 dB(A) at night. Because chiller and generator noise is a steady tone, the limits drop another 5 dB(A) to 50 and 40.
Development Code Section 83.01.080 caps noise from stationary sources by the receiving land use: for residential, 55 dB(A) day (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and 45 dB(A) night, measured at the nearest noise-sensitive property line. Industrial receivers allow 70 dB(A). Two features hit data centers directly. Subdivision (f) reduces every Table 83-2 limit by 5 dB(A) when the noise is a simple tone, exactly the steady whine of cooling fans, transformers, and generators, making the effective residential caps 50 dB(A) day and 40 dB(A) night. Unlike some counties, the ordinance does not exempt air-conditioning equipment. Section 83.01.070 separately bars industrial uses from raising an adjacent property's temperature more than ten degrees Fahrenheit.
Exceeding the Table 83-2 limits at a neighboring noise-sensitive property is a Development Code violation, enforced by Land Use Services through abatement, permit conditions, and penalties. Tonal cooling and power equipment is measured against the reduced 50/40 dB(A) caps.
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