Santa Barbara County has no data-center-specific ordinance. A data center is treated as an industrial use, belonging in the M-RP, M-1, or M-2 zones, and needs a discretionary land use permit plus CEQA review. County zoning covers only unincorporated land, not the eight cities.
The County's Land Use and Development Code (Chapter 35) does not define 'data center.' Planning classifies a server-and-computing facility as an industrial use, allowed in the M-RP Industrial Research Park, M-1 Light Industry, or M-2 General Industry zones. Because it is not listed by right, the use requires a discretionary entitlement — a Development Plan and/or Conditional Use Permit under Section 35.82.060 — which triggers CEQA review of power, water, and noise. Parcels in the Coastal Zone fall under the separate Coastal Zoning Ordinance and also need a Coastal Development Permit. These rules govern only unincorporated land; the eight incorporated cities, including Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc, set their own zoning.
Building a data center without the required Development Plan or Conditional Use Permit, or on non-industrial land, is a zoning violation. Planning & Development can deny permits, issue stop-work orders, and pursue code-enforcement penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Maria, CA
Aircraft noise is federally preempted by the FAA; Santa Maria Public Airport District runs a voluntary noise advisory program using California's 65 dB CNEL s...
Santa Maria, CA
Sound-amplifying equipment is regulated in residential zones under Chapter 5-5, and Chapter 6-6 (Party Disturbances) makes hosting a party with sound 'plainl...
Santa Maria, CA
Barking dogs in Santa Maria are treated as 'unmeasurable nuisance noise' under Chapter 5-5 and as a Good Neighbor Rules issue under Chapter 4-7, with persist...
Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria limits residential-zone construction noise under Chapter 5-5, with a construction-noise permit required from the Noise Control Officer when work ...
Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria Municipal Code Chapter 5-5 sets ambient base noise levels that drop at night in residential zones, with a violation found when the level exceeds ...
Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria has no city-wide overnight curfew on ordinary cars parked on residential streets. The 72-hour rule applies to all vehicles, and Section 7-5.18 im...
See how Santa Maria's data center zoning & siting rules stack up against other locations.
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