Published on April 06, 2026
After approximately three hours of public comment regarding the addition of data centers to Chapter 23 of the Weld County Code, the board of commissioners approved Code Ordinance 2026-01 with a 4 to1 vote (with Commissioner James being the no vote). The ordinance finalizes an update to Chapter 23 related to data centers in unincorporated Weld County.
Following public comment and additional discussion with staff, the board requested several changes to the proposed additional code, including:
• Requiring a “Will Serve” letter for electricity and proof of water in compliance with state requirements under C.R.S. 29-20-301. • Implementing dBA noise regulations consistent with Chapter 14 of the Weld County Code at the property line, as well as establishing a dBC noise limit of 65 decibels for data centers at the property line. • Designating applications as a Use by Special Review in the I-1 industrial zone and as a Site Plan Review in the I-2 and I-3 industrial zones. • Prohibiting data centers in the agricultural zone. • Adding clarifying language to the proposed data center definition, which now reads: “Data Center: A building or buildings used to house information technology or telecommunications equipment with which digital information is processed, transferred, and/or stored, with no limitation on peak electrical load. A data center may include associated ancillary structures, including but not limited to offices, security buildings, cooling water tanks, and backup power systems with a total generation of less than fifty megawatts.”
During the final reading, more than 25 Weld County residents provided public comments, offering perspectives, questions, and feedback.
Visit the Weld County Long-range Planning webpage for more information and to read the adopted ordinance.