A proposed temporary moratorium did not advance, but a broader prohibition is expected to return as part of the city’s updated development rules.
Santa Ana officials are debating whether new data centers should be prohibited or regulated as the city completes a comprehensive update of its zoning code.
An effort to establish a temporary 45-day moratorium did not move forward this week. Several councilmembers argued that the question should instead be resolved through the broader zoning overhaul expected to reach the City Council.
The Planning Commission has already directed city staff to include an explicit prohibition on new data centers in the proposed code update.
Why data centers are receiving attention
Data centers contain computer servers and other equipment that power digital storage, online services and artificial-intelligence systems.
Critics have raised concerns about their electricity and water demands, potential noise and the relatively small number of permanent jobs some facilities create after construction is completed.
Labor representatives and other supporters of regulated development have argued that responsibly constructed facilities can create skilled construction work and provide infrastructure needed by businesses.
The disagreement is therefore not simply about technology. It involves land use, utilities, employment and how Santa Ana wants to use its limited industrial property.
Santa Ana’s current footprint is small
City planning staff reported that Santa Ana currently has three comparatively small data centers and no pending applications for new facilities.
One serves Orange County government operations, one is used by Verizon Wireless on East Deer Avenue and another operates on East Dyer Road. None exceeds 100,000 square feet, according to the city’s planning director.
Some officials favor a prohibition before larger proposals arrive. Others have called for clear definitions and operating standards rather than an outright ban.
The decision ahead
The zoning process gives the City Council several options: prohibit new data centers, allow them under specified conditions or create separate rules based on a facility’s size and resource demands.
Residents can follow the city’s comprehensive zoning-code update. Additional reporting on the council discussion and existing facilities is available from Voice of OC.
