Mohave County’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted Nov. 12 to amend sections of the county zoning ordinance to add a definition for “data center” and to permit data centers in airport development, light and general manufacturing and heavy manufacturing zones by special-use permit.

Planning staff said the amendment is strictly a land-use change to clarify where data centers could be allowed and that any proposed facility would still need to come before the commission and the Board of Supervisors for conditions and approval. "We would be adding the definition of data center to section 8 and we would be allowing data centers in AD, M1, M2 and MX zones with a special use permit," staff said during the public hearing.

Commissioners asked whether the ordinance change addresses technical issues such as power and water demands and whether there were active proposals. Staff said there are no public site plans for a specific data center at this time but that the county had received inquiries and wanted zoning rules in place so potential applicants know where to apply. "This is strictly a land use aspect of it," staff said, adding that an SUP would bring projects through a public process where the board could place conditions.

Several commissioners expressed that a special-use permit is appropriate while the county learns how data centers operate locally. Commissioner Bradshaw said requiring an SUP allows the county to evaluate impacts case by case, noting concerns about water and power "because we don't know what data centers are going to do in the county yet." Developer and agent Kathy Tackett Hicks said she plans to present a data-center proposal tied to the Entrada project and urged staff and the commission to continue the policy conversation about how best to regulate them.

The commission voted to approve the ordinance amendments, forwarding the change to the Board of Supervisors for final action. The amendment clarifies the zoning code but does not itself authorize construction of any facility; applicants would need to submit separate permitting documents and a special-use permit application.