In unincorporated Orange County, data centers are not a listed use in the M1 "Light Industrial" district, so they can proceed only with a discretionary Use Permit approved by the Planning Commission. Most county land is incorporated, so eligible unincorporated sites are scarce.
The County's Comprehensive Zoning Code Table 7-9-34.2 governs the M1 "Light Industrial" (Employment) District, the only base district where a server farm would fit. Data centers are not named as a permitted use, so they fall under the table's catch-all: all other uses are prohibited unless a Use Permit by the Planning Commission is obtained, with a required finding that the use is consistent with the district's purpose and intent. A Use Permit is discretionary and triggers CEQA review. M1 buildings max out at 35 feet and must sit 30 feet from any abutting residential, agricultural, or estate district (Sec. 7-9-34.3). Most of Orange County is incorporated into 34 cities with their own zoning, so unincorporated M1 land is limited.
Building or operating a data center on unincorporated M1 land without the required Planning Commission Use Permit is a zoning violation, subject to stop-work orders and enforcement by OC Development Services. Incorporated cities regulate their own land separately.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Orange County.
See how other cities in Orange County handle data center zoning & siting.
See how Midway City's data center zoning & siting rules stack up against other locations.
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