Lincoln, NE Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Use classification
- Office Use Group, § 27.06.120
- Parking ratio
- 2 spaces per 3 employees
- Reserve requirement
- Land reserved for office-use parking
- Governing title
- Title 27 Zoning, Ch. 27.67
Summary
Lincoln classifies data centers under the Office Use Group in Title 27, and requires two off-street parking spaces per three employees on the largest shift, with land reserved for standard office-use parking if the site later converts to another office use.
y. Data Center: Two (2) spaces per three (3) employees on largest shift, plus land shall be reserved to provide required parking for office uses in the underlying zoning districts in the event the Data Center is changed to another office use.
z. Urban Gardens greater than two acres in size shall provide three off-street parking stalls per every acre or part thereof over two acres.
aa. Dwellings for Nonrelated Persons, for four to six persons living as a single housekeeping unit permitted under a community unit plan: One space per resident.
ab. Parking for accessory buildings for retail sales, such as lumber storage areas, is not required to be provided, when they are not fully enclosed or are left open during business hours.
ac. Three parking stalls shall be provided on premises used for motorized vehicle sales if the premises is less than two (2) acres in size. If the premises is two (2) or more acres in size, parking shall be as shown on the parking matrix for the district the motorized vehicles sales is located in.
ad. Large item retail sales: One space per 600 square feet of floor area.
ae. Motorized Vehicle Wash Facilities: For properties where the primary use is automatic car wash facilities, 1 space per 3 employees on the largest shift shall be required. No parking shall be required for self-service or accessory automatic car wash facilities.
af. Collaborative Living Facilities: 1 parking space for every two residents.
Full Breakdown
Data centers are not a standalone zoning district or use category in Lincoln's code: they're grouped into the Office Use Group (Lincoln Municipal Code § 27.06.120), the same class as banks, law offices, and insurance companies, and are sited under that group's permitted-use rules across the city's zoning districts. The code does single out one data-center-specific standard: accessory parking. Section 27.67.040(y) requires two off-street spaces per three employees on the largest shift, and requires the operator to reserve enough land to meet standard office-use parking ratios in case the site is later converted to another office use.
Violations & Fines
Building without meeting the 2-per-3-employee parking ratio or without reserving the required office-conversion parking land is a zoning code violation, enforceable through permit denial or a stop-work order from the City's Planning Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lincoln have a separate zoning district for data centers?
How much parking must a Lincoln data center provide?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lincoln
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