Butte County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. In the unincorporated county a server facility is an industrial use, allowed in the Light Industrial (LI), General Industrial (GI), or Heavy Industrial (HI) zones under Zoning Code Chapter 24, with a Conditional Use Permit and CEQA review for larger campuses.
A data center is not named in Butte County's zoning code (Chapter 24), so the Development Services Department classifies a server facility as an industrial use. Three unincorporated industrial zones apply: Light Industrial (LI) for low-impact uses like warehousing and light manufacturing, General Industrial (GI) for a broader range, and Heavy Industrial (HI). A large, power-intensive campus resembling heavy manufacturing requires a Conditional Use Permit heard by the Planning Commission, which triggers CEQA review and, under General Plan policy, an acoustical analysis. Development implements the General Plan's Industrial land use designation. These rules govern only unincorporated land, not the cities of Chico, Oroville, Gridley, and Biggs or the Town of Paradise.
Building a data center on land not zoned LI, GI, or HI, or without a required Conditional Use Permit or CEQA clearance, is a zoning violation. The county can withhold building permits and issue stop-work orders until the parcel conforms.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Butte County, CA
Construction noise in unincorporated Butte County is governed by the county noise standards and zoning conditions; noise-generating construction is restricte...
Butte County, CA
Driveway approaches onto county roads in unincorporated Butte County require an encroachment permit from County Public Works and must meet sight-distance, dr...
Butte County, CA
The accumulation of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on private or public property in unincorporated Butte County is declared a public...
Butte County, CA
Heavy equipment storage by individual contractors/drivers is permitted in industrial zones but requires a special standard (Section 24-173.1) in the Very Low...
Butte County, CA
Camping or sleeping overnight in a recreational vehicle, travel trailer, camper, or tent on unincorporated Butte County land outside a lawful campground or R...
Butte County, CA
Butte County does not impose comprehensive on-street parking time limits in unincorporated areas, but recreational vehicles and boats cannot be parked in any...
See how Butte County's data center zoning & siting rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.