Kootenai County, ID Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)

138 of the Kootenai County Land Use Development Code, adopted by Ordinance 620 on October 2, 2025, governs where a data center can be built in unincorporated Kootenai County. The use is permitted only in the Light Industrial and Industrial zones and only through a conditional use permit; the minimum parcel size is ten acres. Building height follows the standard for whichever zone the site sits in, though the board can require a shorter structure as a condition of approval to protect views or keep the facility compatible with what is already built nearby.

Setbacks turn on what is next door. A data center within reach of an Agricultural, Agricultural Suburban, Restricted Residential, Rural, or High Density Residential zone, or a Commercial-zoned parcel where a residential use has already been established, must sit at least one hundred fifty feet back from that zone's boundary. A facility with no residential-zone neighbor can instead use the ordinary setback for whichever zone it is located in. Separately, every piece of equipment and structure on the site except perimeter fencing has to stay at least fifty feet from any property line that borders a residential zone.

The county also requires the facility to blend into its surroundings: buildings must generally be painted a neutral color unless the board approves otherwise, existing vegetation on site has to be preserved as much as possible, mechanical equipment such as generators has to be screened from public view (solar panels are exempt from that screening rule), and security fencing must meet applicable federal and state standards while still keeping the public out. Parking is sized to the facility's own needs and must stay on site. (Ord. 620, 10-2-2025)