Santa Monica, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated use class
- Equipment within Buildings
- IC Industrial Conservation
- Conditional Use Permit
- OC Office Campus
- Permitted by right
- Residential zones
- Not permitted
- Review
- CEQA + Planning Commission hearing
Summary
Santa Monica classifies a data center as a Communication Facility, Equipment within Buildings - indoor space holding computer servers. The use needs a Conditional Use Permit in the IC Industrial Conservation district, is permitted by right in the OC Office Campus district, and is barred from residential zones.
Communication Facilities. Facilities for the provision of broadcasting and other information relay services through the use of electronic and telephonic mechanisms. ... Equipment within Buildings. Indoor facilities containing primarily communication equipment and storage devices such as computer servers.
Full Breakdown
Unlike Los Angeles County, Santa Monica's Zoning Ordinance names the use. Section 9.51.030 defines Communication Facilities, Equipment within Buildings as indoor facilities holding communication equipment and storage devices such as computer servers. Table 9.13.020 makes the use a Conditional Use Permit in the IC Industrial Conservation district - the city's only industrial zone - and permits it by right in the OC Office Campus district. A Conditional Use Permit is discretionary, triggering CEQA review and a Planning Commission hearing. Larger power or transmission functions fall under Utilities, Major or Antennas and Transmission Towers, each requiring a CUP. A site inside the coastal zone also needs a Coastal Development Permit.
Violations & Fines
Building or operating a data center without the required Conditional Use Permit, or outside a district where the use is allowed, violates the Zoning Ordinance, enforced through stop-work orders, penalties, and permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Santa Monica allow data centers?
Where can a data center be built in Santa Monica?
How can residents shape data-center rules in Santa Monica?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Monica
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Monica to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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Data Center Zoning & Siting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle data center zoning & siting.