Mountain View's Zoning Ordinance names "data center" as a distinct use, permitted by right in the Limited Industrial (ML) and General Industrial (MM) districts when housed in a fully enclosed building. No Conditional Use Permit is required for a conforming facility.
Unlike Santa Clara County, which has no data-center use category and requires a discretionary Use Permit plus CEQA, Mountain View's City Code Chapter 36 lists "Data centers" as a named land use. Section 36.20.15(a)(2) permits wholesale, warehousing, and data centers when conducted within a fully enclosed building. The use carries a "P" designation in both the ML (Limited Industrial) and MM (General Industrial) districts, meaning it is permitted by right subject to zoning compliance and Development Review under Section 36.44.45. No Conditional Use Permit is needed for a conforming data center. Larger projects requiring a discretionary Development Review Permit trigger CEQA; smaller ministerial approvals do not.
Building or operating a data center outside an ML or MM district, or not within a fully enclosed building, violates Chapter 36 and is enforced through zoning compliance actions, stop-work orders, and code enforcement.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
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