Downey, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated ordinance
- None
- Zones
- M-1, M-2 manufacturing
- Unlisted uses
- Deemed Not Permitted
- CUP trigger
- Public utility classification
- Discretionary review
- CEQA + Planning Commission
Summary
The City of Downey has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use category. Data centers site in the M-1 and M-2 manufacturing zones, classified into the nearest Table 9.3.9 use: permitted by right as office, R&D, or warehouse, or needing a Conditional Use Permit as a public utility.
Table 9.3.9 identifies the uses permitted in each Manufacturing Zone. If a use is not specifically listed on the table then said use shall be deemed as Not Permitted.
Full Breakdown
Downey's Zoning Code (Municipal Code Article IX) does not name "data center" as a use, and its use tables state that any use not specifically listed is deemed Not Permitted. So the Planning Division must classify a data center into the closest listed use in Table 9.3.9 for the M-1 (light manufacturing) and M-2 (general manufacturing) zones. Read as business offices, research and development, or a warehouse, a server building is Permitted (P) by right with a ministerial building permit. Read as "Public utilities," it needs a Conditional Use Permit under Section 9824 - a discretionary permit triggering CEQA review and a Planning Commission hearing. Downey has adopted no moratorium.
Violations & Fines
Building or operating a data center outside the M-1 or M-2 zones, or without a required Conditional Use Permit, is a Zoning Code violation enforced by Downey Code Enforcement through stop-work orders, citations, and abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can data centers be built in the City of Downey?
Does Downey require a special permit for a data center?
Does Downey have a data-center ordinance, and who do I ask for one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Downey
California rules heatmap·Compare Downey to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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