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Chandler data center ordinance changes zoning code

By Nicholas Gerbis
Published: Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 3:40pm
Updated: Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 3:51pm
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The City of Chandler’s new data-center ordinance went into effect Jan. 5 and includes a change to the city’s zoning code.

Data centers have grown over the years from single-user rooms to massive, electrically-cooled colocation facilities like Chandler’s 180,000-square-foot H5 center.

To keep pace, Chandler periodically adjusts its standards for studying the noise from data centers and backup generators and alleviating their effects on surrounding neighborhoods.

The city’s latest ordinance goes one step further and amends the zoning code (Chapter 35, Section 2214) to create a new section governing data center locations and operations.

The code clarifies classification issues, sets communication requirements, and establishes standards for facility size, sound mitigation and testing times.

Business Science