Apple Valley’s One-Year Data Center Moratorium Moves Into Local Zoning Review

Apple Valley has adopted a citywide interim moratorium on establishing, operating or expanding data centers while officials study whether permanent zoning rules are needed.

The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1158 after the July 9, 2026, public hearing identified in the city’s notice. The ordinance creates a one-year study period and temporarily limits qualifying data-center activity and related land-use approvals throughout Apple Valley.

What the ordinance does

During the interim period, the moratorium applies to establishing, operating or expanding a data center in the city. It also restricts related activity, including building permits, rezoning requests, comprehensive-plan amendments, conditional-use permits, variances, subdivision activity and new applications tied to covered data-center proposals.

For applicants and property owners, the practical effect is that a qualifying data-center project cannot move through Apple Valley’s normal land-use and permitting process while the interim study is in effect. The ordinance is a temporary zoning measure, not a permanent prohibition.

What the city will study

The ordinance identifies potential effects involving land use, water, wastewater, infrastructure, public health and public safety as subjects for review. It does not establish that specific environmental, utility, health or safety impacts have occurred or been proven. Those questions are part of the study officials will use to evaluate whether Apple Valley’s zoning framework should change.

City staff are expected to develop findings and possible recommendations during the one-year period. The city’s Community Development newsletter said those findings would be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for review, with updated data-center rules possible after that process.

Permanent rules would require future action

Ordinance No. 1158 does not itself adopt permanent data-center zoning rules. Any lasting restrictions or regulations would require additional review and future action by the appropriate city bodies.

The current policy also does not decide the outcome of every future data-center proposal. It establishes an interim pause and study process while the city evaluates land-use standards and related city-service questions.

Separate from the Technology Park proposal

The citywide moratorium is distinct from the Apple Valley Technology Park data-center proposal that was denied on March 26, 2026. That earlier decision addressed a specific proposal. Ordinance No. 1158 applies throughout Apple Valley and creates a broader, temporary review of data-center uses and related approvals.

Residents, property owners and potential applicants should expect further local review before Apple Valley determines whether permanent zoning changes are appropriate. For now, the interim moratorium remains the controlling policy for covered data-center activity.

Sources

• Apple Valley interim data-center ordinance, Ordinance No. 1158