Tempe, AZ Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)

Section 3-429 was added to the Zoning and Development Code by Ordinance No. 23, effective July 1, 2025, to steer data centers into the city's innovation hubs and rail corridors while limiting neighborhood impact. Data centers are allowed only in the MU-ED, GID and HID zoning districts, and only after approval of a use permit under Section 6-308. Section 3-429(B)(1) sets a flat 500-foot buffer between any data center building and the property line of a site with a residential use or residential zoning district.

Section 3-429(B)(2) targets the loudest equipment specifically: generators serving a data center must sit inside an enclosed building with ventilation adequate to reduce the noise impact reaching the surrounding area, rather than running in open yards or on exposed pads. Section 3-429(A) folds these location and design rules into a broader purpose clause calling for design standards adopted to mitigate noise levels alongside energy and water consumption controls. Beyond noise, Section 3-429(C) requires an economic impact study reviewed by the Economic Development Director for any proposed innovation-hub or rail-corridor site, and any data center meeting the code's definition of an extreme-water-use facility must also submit a water use plan to the Public Works Department under Tempe City Code Section 33-142 before a use permit can be granted.