Alameda County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. A data center is regulated only through general industrial zoning — the M-1, M-2, and M-P districts — plus Site Development Review, CEQA, and the county noise ordinance. Most of the county is incorporated, so its data centers sit inside cities.
Alameda County has no data-center-specific law. Its Zoning Ordinance contains no data-center or crypto use class, so a large computing facility is governed only by general industrial zoning. It falls under industrial uses — manufacturing, processing, research, or utility — permitted only in the M-1 "Light Industrial," M-2 "Heavy Industrial," and M-P "Industrial Park" districts, within an enclosed building meeting performance standards for noise, vibration, and emissions. New buildings of 1,000 sq. ft. and over require discretionary Site Development Review, which triggers California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review; outdoor-equipment components can require a Conditional Use Permit.
Building a data center outside the M-1, M-2, or M-P districts, or without Site Development Review and CEQA clearance, halts approvals and draws Alameda County Planning enforcement, including stop-work orders, until the site conforms.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Castro Valley, CA
Alameda County Code §6.60.050 prohibits repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing vehicles in residential areas between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it produces so...
Castro Valley, CA
Alameda County Code §6.60.050 limits use of electric or gas leaf blowers, sweepers, vacuums, mowers, trimmers, edgers and hedgers in residential areas to 7 a...
Castro Valley, CA
Alameda County Code §5.08.060 makes it unlawful for any person owning, keeping, or having custody of a dog or other animal to knowingly permit or suffer that...
Castro Valley, CA
Alameda County Code §6.60.080 exempts construction activity from Chapter 6.60 only if it occurs between 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturd...
Castro Valley, CA
Castro Valley is unincorporated and operates under Alameda County Code Chapter 6.60 (Noise). §6.60.050 makes it a violation to operate any sound-producing de...
Castro Valley, CA
Heavy commercial vehicles - generally over 10,000 lbs GVW or 22 feet long - cannot be parked overnight on Castro Valley residential streets, and cannot be pa...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Alameda County.
See how other cities in Alameda County handle data center zoning & siting.
See how Castro Valley's data center zoning & siting rules stack up against other locations.
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