Costa Mesa, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated ordinance
- None
- Industrial zones
- MG and MP
- Unlisted use
- Director similarity finding
- Fallback permit
- Conditional use permit
- Discretionary review
- CEQA plus public hearing
Summary
Costa Mesa has no data-center use in its Land Use Matrix. Server facilities locate in the MG and MP industrial zones, permitted by right when the development services director finds similarity to a listed industrial use, and otherwise by conditional use permit.
Any proposed use not listed in the Land Use Matrix shall be reviewed by the development services director to determine its similarity to another listed use. If no substantial similarity exists, the proposed use shall require approval of a conditional use permit prior to establishment of the use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4894290; v9 updated 2025-11-18).
Full Breakdown
Costa Mesa's Land Use Matrix, Table 13-30, lists no data center, server farm, or computer facility use. The city's industrial districts are MG, general industrial, and MP, industrial park. Research and development laboratories, light manufacturing, and warehousing of durable and nondurable goods are permitted by right in both. Under Section 13-30(d), a use not listed is reviewed by the development services director for similarity to a listed use; without substantial similarity it requires a conditional use permit, a discretionary approval carrying CEQA review and a Planning Commission hearing. The city has adopted no data-center ordinance and no moratorium.
Violations & Fines
Establishing a data center outside the MG or MP zones, or without a required conditional use permit, is a Municipal Code violation enforced by Costa Mesa code enforcement through citations, administrative fines, and abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a data center be built in Costa Mesa?
Does Costa Mesa require a conditional use permit for a data center?
Costa Mesa has no data-center ordinance. Who do I ask for one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Costa Mesa
California rules heatmap·Compare Costa Mesa to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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