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Pima County board asks staff to draft zoning changes for large data centers
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Summary
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to begin a zoning code text amendment that would require conditional review and public hearings for large data centers and other high water- and electricity-using projects on CI-2 parcels.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to initiate a zoning code text amendment aimed at subjecting data centers and other large utility users on CI-2 industrial parcels to conditional use review and public hearings.
The board’s action, introduced by Supervisor Adelita S. Allen, directs county development services staff to prepare and pursue a code text amendment that would shift certain CI-2 uses from “by right” to a conditional-use-permit process that includes planning-and-zoning review and opportunities for public input.
The change responds to recent proposals for hyperscale data centers in the region and to lessons learned during Project Blue, when a county land sale and rezoning required supervisor review. “Under the current code, data centers can be built on some industrially zoned parcels by right, which means that the board and public have little to no say whatsoever,” Allen said during the discussion.
Supporters said the move would add transparency and let the county attach conditions addressing water, energy, aesthetics and community engagement. County staff and the county attorney told supervisors they would prepare maps showing the location and acreage of CI-2 parcels, provide examples of code language used by other Arizona jurisdictions, and analyze legal liability and economic impacts before any draft ordinance is finalized.
County attorney staff cautioned that while changes carry potential liability exposure, state law does allow local governments to amend zoning; the office said it will provide a memo about legal risks and protections. County administration also committed to include economic-development analysis and acreage mapping in the staff work plan.
Supervisor Chris Christie voted against the initiation, saying he wanted additional data before starting the process; the measure passed with Supervisors Allen, Connell, Hines and Chair Scott voting yes and Christie opposed.
What happens next: County development services will draft one or more text-amendment options, run public outreach and neighborhood meetings, and take the matter to the planning and zoning commission before returning to the board. Staff said the city of Tucson and other municipalities’ code examples will be used as templates during the drafting phase.
Why it matters: Supervisors framed the change as an attempt to ensure that large industrial users that consume substantial water and electricity do not proceed without public scrutiny and board oversight. The initiation does not adopt any new regulation today; rather it starts a months‑long public process to create and consider specific ordinance language.
