116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Linn County looks to regulate data center development
County supervisors will soon discuss zoning code for where and how data centers can be built in unincorporated areas
Jan. 21, 2026 4:45 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Data center developers would be required to prove their project would not cause “undue adverse effects” to Linn County’s water system before being allowed to build in rural areas under a draft zoning code headed to the county board of supervisors.
The Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt the code as presented, although three rounds of supervisor approval are required before it can formally take effect.
As drafted, the code would create a new exclusive-use zoning district with specific parameters and application requirements for large-scale data center developments proposed within unincorporated Linn County.
“The intent is to establish a clear, comprehensive (zoning) framework,” said Linn County Planning and Development Director Charlie Nichols. “These are generational infrastructure uses, and … we want to ensure long-term impacts to infrastructure, water resources and surrounding land uses are evaluated and mitigated” where possible.
‘The time is right’ for regulation
A data center is a facility that houses computer servers, data storage and other equipment that stores and returns information to end users. With increases in artificial intelligence and cloud computing, the number of data center projects nationally is skyrocketing.
Already, two data center campuses are under construction in southwest Cedar Rapids, and Nichols said the county has fielded several inquiries from developers looking to site similar projects in rural Linn County.
Most notably, tech giant Google has expressed interest in constructing up to six data center buildings on land adjacent to the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo.
Nichols said that interest spurred county staff to develop specific zoning regulations around those developments given the “unique and high-impact” nature of hyper-scale data center projects and the rapidly evolving technology that supports them.
“The time is right to have some regulations and have some code on the books that determine where data centers can be built and how they are built” in Linn County, he said. “They’re a newer (land) use, and they’re not currently addressed by our zoning code.”
By definition, the code would apply to data centers with an electrical design capacity greater than 20 megawatts or those that use more than 50 gallons of water per minute on an annualized basis.
Code focuses on land, water use
The code was drafted following extensive research by county staff into data center regulations adopted by other jurisdictions across the U.S. and the review of three separate consultants to ensure best practices were in use.
As drafted, any large-scale data center developer looking to build in unincorporated Linn County would be required to undergo the rigorous application process outlined within the code.
That includes the submission of a major site plan with a description of the project, development timeline, site layout and an estimate of the number of jobs that would be created as a result of the project.
The applicant would also be required to complete and submit a water study “demonstrating there is sufficient reliable water supply to meet all projected water demands without undue adverse impacts on existing users, aquifers or watersheds.”
Download: PA26-0001 Data Center Ordinance Staff Report.pdf
Depending on their layout and cooling system, data centers can have substantial and sustained water demands, so Nichols said county staff wanted to account for that use at the onset.
“We’re putting that part up front where the applicant needs to be demonstrating there is enough water to meet their needs without negatively impacting the system,” Nichols said. We want to protect “water availability for Linn County residents.”
After rezoning, but before any building permits could be issued, the applicant would also be required to enter into a water use agreement with Linn County to govern ongoing coordination regarding water use over the facility’s life span.
Applicants would also enter into an economic development agreement with the county to create a community betterment fund through which the developer would provide ongoing financial contributions that support public infrastructure and services within Linn County.
Public gets first chance to provide feedback, more on the way
Several Linn County residents attended Tuesday’s meeting to provide feedback on the proposed ordinance. While all recognized and thanked county staff for their time and effort in preparing the draft language, some concerns remained.
Pam Mackey Taylor, director of the Sierra Club’s Iowa chapter, said she appreciated the requirement of a water study and the ordinance’s language around mitigating and capping noise pollution from the centers.
However, she pushed the commission to table the ordinance to allow for more public feedback.
“Planning staff have spent a significant amount of time creating the ordinance. The public has had little time to review it,” Mackey Taylor said. “I would suggest that the ordinance is not ready for prime time and needs to be sent back for more work and greater review.”
Also speaking during public comment, Stacey Bakker shared her experience living in rural Fairfax near the Cedar Rapids data center developments. The sites are significant in size, she said, and such large-scale development can take farmland out of production for decades to come.
Iowa “is the number one producer of corn, pork (and) eggs,” Bakker said. With data centers, it’s like “you are letting hungry teenage boys into the pantry, and they’re going to eat that all up.”
Commissioners on Tuesday acknowledged those concerns while also stressing that the approval of the zoning code is not the same as the approval of a specific data center project.
The commission ultimately voted to advance the code to the board of supervisors, noting that there will be additional opportunities for public feedback and revision along the way.
“This is a great first step,” said Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Tina DuBois. “As we’ve seen with other ordinances we’ve done, if it needs to be revised there will be revision. It’s a work in progress.”
A public hearing and supervisors’ preliminary reading on the measure are planned for 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, at the Palo Community Center, 2800 Hollenback Rd., Palo. The meeting also will be livestreamed for virtual viewing.
The second and third readings will take place at the board’s regular 10 a.m. meetings on Feb. 9 and Feb. 11 at the Linn County Jean Oxley Public Service Center in Cedar Rapids. Similarly, recordings will be made and uploaded to the county website.
Comments: grace.nieland@thegazette.com
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