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Cochise County staff proposes special-use standards for data centers; board asks for fire and water safeguards
Summary
Staff proposed a zoning text amendment to define data centers, require special-use authorization, limit locations, and add site and operational standards including restrictions on potable water cooling, fire protections, decommissioning and utility-capacity demonstrations.
Cochise County staff on Feb. 11 presented a draft zoning text amendment aimed at preparing the county to review potential commercial data-center proposals, saying the county currently has no data-center–specific definition or development standards.
Staff recommended treating data centers as a distinct use that would require special-use authorization, detailed site plans, and operational narratives explaining cooling systems, emergency power and intensity of use. The proposed ordinance would limit where data centers may locate to specified zoning districts and would allow the county to require project-specific studies proportional to anticipated impacts.
“Data centers can provide benefits when properly cited and regulated,” staff said, noting potential property-tax revenue, construction jobs and infrastructure upgrades. But staff warned data centers raise concerns about power demand, water use for water-based cooling systems, and fire safety—especially where battery storage is included.
Key safeguards in the draft amendment include restrictions on routine potable (drinking) water use for cooling unless an applicant demonstrates nonpotable alternatives are infeasible; requirements to demonstrate adequate utilities without harming other users; fire-protection requirements where hydrants and fire flow are unavailable; and abandonment and decommissioning provisions that can trigger financial assurance if facilities are deemed abandoned after one year of cessation.
Board members requested further technical briefings from prospective companies, suggested inviting rural fire chiefs to assess local response capabilities, and urged staff to craft readable ordinance language that balances enforceability with legal defensibility. Staff said the text amendment would proceed through two public hearings—one before the Planning and Zoning Commission and one before the Board of Supervisors—after staff returns with revised language.
No regulation or application is pending; the presentation was framed as proactive policy development to set expectations ahead of any proposal.
