Coachella Planning Commission Recommends Permanent Data Center Ban, With Two Conditions Attached

Coachella's Planning Commission voted Wednesday night to recommend a permanent, citywide ban on data centers, sending the proposal to City Council with two conditions attached.

Commissioners asked staff to further define who qualifies for exemptions under the ordinance. As written, the ban would still allow small server rooms inside existing businesses, IT systems run by government agencies and schools, telecommunications facilities already authorized elsewhere in city code, and data processing equipment used by hospitals, public safety agencies, and utilities, as long as it supports their main operations rather than serving as a standalone data center.

Commissioners also directed staff to look into whether the ban itself could go before voters, giving Coachella residents the chance to decide the issue by ballot rather than leaving it solely up to Council.

The vote follows months of pushback from residents over data centers' strain on power and water, along with concerns about noise and air quality near neighborhoods. Council extended a temporary freeze on new data center projects just last week while the city finished drafting the permanent rules commissioners took up Wednesday.

The recommendation now heads to City Council for a first reading on August 12th, where members will weigh both the ban and the conditions commissioners added.