San Mateo County has no data center ordinance, and its unincorporated land is largely rural, residential, coastal, and agricultural with little industrial zoning. A data center on unincorporated land would need a use permit under the Development Code plus CEQA review. The county's actual data centers sit inside incorporated cities.
Unincorporated San Mateo County is governed by the County Development Code, adopted as Title 8 on October 8, 2024, which zones land into residential, commercial, agricultural, timberland, coastal, and resource-protection districts far more than heavy industrial ones. There is no data-center-specific chapter. A data center is not a listed permitted use, so it would require a discretionary use permit under Section 8.280.010, plus CEQA review and, on the coast side, a Coastal Development Permit under the California Coastal Act. Unincorporated land offers little industrial acreage, and the data centers associated with San Mateo County sit within incorporated cities such as South San Francisco, Redwood City, and the City of San Mateo, each applying its own zoning code.
Building a data center on unincorporated San Mateo County land without a use permit, CEQA clearance, or a required Coastal Development Permit halts approval and draws county Planning and Building enforcement, including stop-work orders, until the project is properly permitted.
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San Mateo County, CA
Aircraft noise is regulated by the FAA under federal law, not by the County's local noise ordinance. The County of San Mateo operates San Carlos and Half Moo...
San Mateo County, CA
Industrial and commercial noise in unincorporated San Mateo County is controlled through the exterior noise standards of County Code 4.88.330 (measured at ne...
San Mateo County, CA
Outdoor music in unincorporated San Mateo County must comply with the exterior decibel limits in County Code 4.88.330 and must not be unreasonably loud under...
San Mateo County, CA
County Code 4.88.330 sets exterior noise limits at residences, schools, hospitals, churches and libraries on a sliding scale by how long the noise lasts in a...
San Mateo County, CA
Noise from motor vehicles operated on public roads in unincorporated San Mateo County is primarily controlled by the California Vehicle Code, which requires ...
San Mateo County, CA
Curb markings on unincorporated County roads are installed by the Department of Public Works and only after Board of Supervisors approval. Standard Californi...
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