Greenwood, IN Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning status
- Special exception only, IL district
- Residential buffer
- 1,000 feet minimum setback
- Screening required
- 8-foot landscaped berm
- Water design
- LID water-recycling feature required
- Approving body
- Board of Zoning Appeals
Summary
In the City of Greenwood, Indiana, a data center is allowed only as a special exception in the Industrial - Large Format (IL) zoning district, never by right. Sec. 10-02-12 of the Unified Development Ordinance conditions approval on an eight-foot landscaped berm, a Low Impact Development water-recycling feature, and a minimum 1,000-foot setback from any residential property.
(PP = Permitted Principal) RL RM RA RMC RMH CS CM CL IM IL OT OTR IC AC OS AG ... Data Center SE ... Uses permitted as special exceptions in the master use table above must adhere to the following special exception standards for the respective use: ... Data Center • Required eight (8) foot berm with landscaping to block visual from right-of-way and surrounding uses. Low Impact Development (LID) feature of water recycling must be incorporated in design. Shall not be located within 1,000' of residential property. ... Any person who uses property in violation of this Ordinance shall be deemed to have committed a civil zoning violation and may be issued a citation by the designated enforcement entity. ... The monetary fine for each civil zoning violation shall be $50.00, except that for repeated civil zoning violation, the following fines shall apply: Second citation: $ 75.00 Each Citation in Excess of Two: $100.00
Full Breakdown
Greenwood's Master List of Uses by Zone and District (Sec. 10-02-11) places 'Data Center' in the Industrial category and marks it SE, Special Exception, only in the Industrial - Large Format (IL) column; every other column in the sixteen-district table, including Industrial - Medium Format (IM), the commercial formats, and every residential district, is left blank. That means a data center cannot be built anywhere in Greenwood without first winning a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals, and even then only on IL-zoned land.
Sec. 10-02-12, 'Standards for Special Exceptions,' then layers on additional conditions a data center applicant must meet: an eight-foot berm with landscaping so the facility is screened from the right-of-way and neighboring properties, a Low Impact Development feature that recycles water as part of the site design, and a rule that the facility 'shall not be located within 1,000' of residential property.' The same section imposes separate added standards on other special-exception uses, such as campgrounds and post-secondary schools, but the berm, water-recycling, and 1,000-foot residential buffer apply specifically to data centers.
Once a special exception is approved, Sec. 10-04-09's civil zoning violation process applies if the finished project departs from what was approved: a warning ticket, then a citation, with fines starting at $50 and climbing to $100 for repeat citations.
Violations & Fines
A data center built or operated without an approved special exception, or one that breaches its berm, water-recycling, or 1,000-foot residential setback conditions, is a civil zoning violation. The Planning Director issues a warning ticket first, then a citation; fines run $50 for a first citation, $75 for a second, and $100 for each one after that, with each uncorrected day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a data center be built anywhere in Greenwood, Indiana?
How far must a Greenwood data center be from homes?
What if a data center violates its special exception conditions in Greenwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenwood
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