In unincorporated Riverside County, data centers are not a named use in the zoning code. They are sited in manufacturing zones (M-SC, M-M, M-H, and the I-P Industrial Park) under Ordinance No. 348, approved through a plot plan or conditional use permit. Incorporated cities set their own rules.
This page covers unincorporated Riverside County land, governed by the county Planning Department under Ordinance No. 348; cities like Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Indio have separate zoning. Ordinance 348 does not define "data center," so the Planning Director evaluates one as substantially similar to permitted industrial, research, or office uses and places it in a Manufacturing (M-SC, M-M, M-H) or Industrial Park (I-P) zone. Approval runs through a plot plan under Section 18.30, or a conditional use permit for more intensive proposals. Large projects need General Plan consistency, often a Foundation General Plan Amendment, and full CEQA review. Note that AB 98 and SB 415 impose statewide standards on logistics and warehouse facilities, not data centers.
Building or operating a data center without the required plot plan or conditional use permit, or outside a proper manufacturing zone, is a zoning violation. The county can deny the plot plan, withhold building permits, and pursue code enforcement abatement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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