Apple Valley, MN Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Where a data center is listed
- Zone 2 of the Ordinance No. 1053 designation, § A37-2(B)(3)
- Status in Zone 2
- Permitted use, no conditional use permit named
- Zone 2 minimum lot
- 40,000 square feet, 200 feet wide
- Zone 2 building height
- 45 feet maximum
- Zone 2 building coverage
- 30 percent of the lot
- Zone 1 status
- Data center not listed; limited to home improvement uses
Summary
In the City of Apple Valley, Minnesota, the only place the Code of Ordinances names a data center as a use is Zone 2 of the property designated by Ordinance No. 1053, where it is a permitted use. Zone 2 carries 40,000 square foot lots, 45 foot height and 30 percent building coverage.
(B) Zone 2. Within this this zone, no structure or land shall be used except for one or more of the following uses deemed similar by the City Council: (1) Conducting a process, fabrication, storage, manufacturing or wholesaling operation; (2) Contractor's office, outdoor storage subject to a conditional use; (3) Data center; (4) On-sale wine, and/or 3.2% liquor in conjunction with an event center/banquet facility; (5) Health and fitness club, when located in a freestanding building; (6) Manufacturing related to aerospace, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries; (7) Medical reference and diagnostic laboratories; (8) Offices;
Full Breakdown
Article A37 of the Apple Valley Code of Ordinances, adopted by the City Council as Ordinance No. 1053 on 11-15-18, sets performance standards for one mapped planned development in Dakota County, Minnesota. Section A37-1 states the purpose of the zone: an integrated mix of retail and general business, and limited industrial uses. The designation is split into Zone 1 and Zone 2. Zone 1 is limited to a building materials and home improvement store and a garden sales center, so a data center cannot go there.
Zone 2 is where section A37-2(B) lists "Data center" as item (3) among its permitted uses, next to process and fabrication operations, offices, laboratories, warehousing and wholesale businesses, and manufacturing related to aerospace, medical device and pharmaceutical industries. The lead-in language says no structure or land in Zone 2 is used except for the listed uses or uses deemed similar by the City Council. Section A37-3(B) adds a separate conditional use list for Zone 2: fleet vehicle operations storage and maintenance, on-sale liquor, outdoor research or testing facilities, outdoor storage of vehicles and materials in conjunction with a permitted use, and towers as regulated in § 155.385.
Section A37-5 then fixes the dimensional standards for Zone 2: minimum lot area of 40,000 square feet, lot width of 200 feet, building setbacks of 50 feet along principal or arterial streets, 40 feet along collector streets, 30 feet along all other streets, 25 feet along private streets or drives measured from the back of the curb, 10 feet on the side lot line and 20 feet on the rear lot line. Maximum building coverage is 30 percent of the lot and maximum building height is 45 feet.
Impervious surface, screening, landscaping and parking cross-refer to §§ 155.350, 155.348, 155.349 and 155.370 through 155.379. Section A37-6 requires refuse and recycling equipment to be fully screened from public streets and adjacent properties. The Code contains no other data center provision, so a data center anywhere else in the city needs the zoning ordinance itself to allow it or a rezoning through the City Council.
Violations & Fines
The Zone 2 provisions quoted here print no penalty of their own. A use outside the A37-2(B) permitted list and not deemed similar by the City Council is not allowed in Zone 2, and a use on the A37-3(B) list requires a conditional use. Dimensional limits in section A37-5 bind every improvement placed on the land.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a data center allowed anywhere in Apple Valley, Minnesota?
Does a Zone 2 data center need a conditional use permit?
What setbacks and height apply in Zone 2?
Can a data center go in Zone 1 of the same designation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apple Valley
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