Monterey County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. A data center is regulated only as a general industrial use: it belongs in a Light or Heavy Industrial district, needs a discretionary Use Permit, and triggers CEQA review. Coastal-zone sites also need a Coastal Development Permit. County zoning covers unincorporated land only.
There is no data-center-specific law in Monterey County. A server or computing facility is treated as a general industrial use. In the inland area, Title 21 places it in the Light Industrial 'LI' district (Chapter 21.26) or Heavy Industrial 'HI' district (Chapter 21.28); because it is not listed by right, the Housing and Community Development Department requires a discretionary Use Permit, triggering CEQA review. Monterey is a coastal county, so a parcel inside the Coastal Zone instead falls under Title 20, the certified Local Coastal Program, and also needs a Coastal Development Permit under the California Coastal Act. This applies only to unincorporated land; the twelve cities, including Salinas and Monterey, adopt their own zoning.
Establishing a data center on land not zoned for industry, or without the required Use Permit and, in the Coastal Zone, a Coastal Development Permit, is a zoning violation. The county can deny permits, issue stop-work orders, and pursue enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Monterey County, CA
Curb-color meanings in unincorporated Monterey County follow California Vehicle Code Section 21458: red = no stopping/parking, yellow = freight/passenger loa...
Monterey County, CA
Monterey County zoning requires off-street loading spaces for larger commercial and industrial buildings (Section 20.58.050(H)). On public streets, loading-z...
Monterey County, CA
Fences on unincorporated Monterey County land must comply with Title 21 (inland) or Title 20 (coastal): generally no taller than 6 ft unless the accessory-st...
Monterey County, CA
Monterey County requires a construction permit for any retaining wall 4 feet or greater in height, measured bottom of footing to top of wall, OR a retaining ...
Monterey County, CA
Animal hoarding and neglect in unincorporated Monterey County are handled through the County's nuisance and animal-care rules plus California's cruelty law. ...
Monterey County, CA
Unincorporated Monterey County prohibits feeding wildlife in any way, with the only exception being a bird feeder in your yard, under Monterey County Code se...
See how Monterey County's data center zoning & siting rules stack up against other locations.
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