On the agenda: Cedaredge 11-04-2026 Regular Meeting — Data Center (Nov 4)

Planning and Zoning Commission
Regular Meeting
Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
Attend in person:
Cedaredge Civic Center, Grand Mesa Room, 140 NW 2nd St., Cedaredge
Attend virtually:
On Your Computer: https://bit.ly/4nTWPbx |Password: 043076
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NOTE: Persons attending remotely may experience technical difficulty.
While the Town attempts to have technology working to accommodate
remote participation, there can be times when technology is not working
properly thereby impacting the ability to listen or present.
AGENDA
1. Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance
2. Roll Call

COMMISSION MEMBERS
VACANT, Chair
Tate Locke, Vice-Chair
Debbie Griffith
Gary Henderson
Allen Alvarez
Greg Hart, Mayor
Jim Atkinson, Mayor Pro-Tem

TERM ENDS
4/30/2028
4/30/2027
4/30/2029
4/30/2029
4/30/2027
Ex Officio
Ex Officio

3. Agenda Approval. Commissioners will consider accepting the agenda as presented
or if it should be modified. Adding new items is limited to emergency matters
needing immediate attention that arose after the agenda was posted.
4. Resignation. Receive resignation letter from Ron Courtney.
5. Election. Solicit nominations and elect officers for the Planning and Zoning
Commission through April 30, 2027.
a. Chairperson
b. Vice-Chairperson

6. Constituent Time
There is a sign-up sheet at the lectern for constituents who would like to address the
Commission. Online constituents should use the raise your hand feature. We will
recognize the oldest first, newest last order.
When there is a public hearing on the agenda, there will be a separate public
comment period. A separate sign-up sheet is provided for that, and online
participants should follow the same raise your hand procedure for commenting
during that time.
Constituents, whether in person or online may address the Commission about any
issue, except where time will be afforded for comment on scheduled items. Please
limit comments to three (3) minutes. Please keep all comments cordial. Personal
attacks on any staff or Commissioner will not be tolerated. The Planning
Commission is not required to discuss, comment, or take action at this meeting on any
issue raised under constituent time that is not part of the scheduled agenda.
However, the Chair may refer the matter to staff to obtain additional information for
discussion at a later time.
7. Minutes
a. Approve Minutes of 9/2/2026; Regular Meeting
8. Data Center Regulations (Title 16)
Continued from September 2, 2026
Discuss potential Title 16 definitions and regulatory approaches for data center
facilities as part of Title 16 in the Cedaredge Municipal Code (CMC).
RECOMMENDATION(S): Identify topics or approaches for further review.
9. Staff Updates
10. Commissioner Comments
11. Adjourn;
Next regular meeting date is Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Town of Cedaredge
Planning and Zoning Commission
Mayor - Greg Hart

Greetings Greg,

We are purchasing a new home and will no longer be citizens of the Town of Cedaredge.
Please accept this letter as my resignation from the Planning and Zoning Commission
e ective October 1, 2026. Thank you for the chance to serve and be a part of the
community in the great town of Cedaredge.
Thank you to all my fellow Commissioners for their collegial attitudes during the time we
served together. I wish the best to all!

Sincerely,

Ron Courtney

Planning and Zoning Commission
Record of Proceedings
Regular Meeting
Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 5 p.m.
1. Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance: Chairperson Ron Courtney called the meeting to
order at 5:05pm.
2. Roll Call: In attendance were Chairperson Ron Courtney, Commissioners Allen Alvarez,
Debbie Griffith, and Gary Henderson.
Vice Chairperson Tate Locke was excused from the meeting.
Let it be shown for the record that Ex-Officio Members Greg Hart and Jim Atkinson, Deputy
Town Administrator (DA) Jared Burson, and Deputy Town Clerk (DC) Amy Alfaro were also in
attendance.
3. Constituent Time
There were no constituents present to speak during constituent time.
4. Agenda Approval
Motion: Commissioner Debbie Griffith moved to approve the agenda as presented.
Commissioner Gary Henderson seconded the motion.
Vote: All voted ‘aye,’ no one voted ‘nay,’ motion passed unanimously.
5. Minutes
Motion: Commissioner Debbie Griffith moved to approve the Record of Proceedings from the
July 1st, 2026 Regular Meeting. Commissioner Gary Henderson seconded the motion.
Vote: All voted ‘aye,’ no one voted ‘nay,’ motion passed unanimously.
6. Data Center Regulations (Title 16)
DA Burson gave a verbal report.
Members discussed data centers and directed Staff to prepare and present information on the
electrical load of a typical manufacturing facility (similar to Delta) for the next meeting, to help
define a size threshold for data centers, review zoning areas and provide recommendations on
where data centers could be housed, considering proximity to residential areas and potential
noise concerns, and investigate and present information on the feasibility of requiring data
centers to provide their own water supply and handle water treatment, as part of the data center

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 09/02/2026

regulation discussion.
7. Corridor Management Plan/Circulation Plan
DA Burson gave a verbal report.
Members discussed the potential corridor management plan/circulation plan and directed Staff to
develop a preliminary corridor management and circulation plan, including maps and potential
solutions (e.g., limiting left turns, traffic calming devices) for the next meeting, and provide a
map and analysis of the town's streets, identifying which streets could be tied together and where
no-left-turn or no-right-turn restrictions could be implemented.
8. Staff Updates
Staff did not have any updates to provide.
9. Commissioner Comments
Commissioner Allen Alvarez questioned whether he missed any presentations prior to his arrival
to the meeting.
Ex-Officio Member Greg Hart gave a verbal update on the Grand Mesa Arts and Events Center
alley vacation progress.
10. Adjourn
Chairperson Ron Courtney adjourned the meeting at 5:52pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Brooke Wood, Town Clerk

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 09/02/2026

STAFF REPORT
To:

Planning and Zoning Commission

From:

Jared Burson, Deputy Town Administrator

Agenda Date:

November 4, 2026

Item:

DATA CENTER REGULATIONS
Follow-up: Zoning/Siting, Electrical Demand, Noise, and Revenue

Attached:

A) Ordinance 2026-07, Temporary Moratorium on Data Center Facilities;
B) Examples of Colorado Data Center Definitions – Background
C) 2008 Zoning Map
D) 2025 Master Plan; Pages 48/49
E) Ordinance 2021-03, DMEA Franchise Agreement

RECOMMENDATION(S):
Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z):
a. Receive and discuss follow-up information on zoning and siting, electrical consumption,
noise, and potential municipal revenue associated with data center facilities.
b. Provide direction regarding whether additional Title 16 standards are warranted as part of the
ongoing data center review.
SUMMARY:
At its September 2, 2026 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission began discussion of
developing land use standards/regulations for data center facilities within the Town. The
Commission requested additional information regarding the electrical demand of a data center
compared with a conventional manufacturing use and potential noise impacts associated with data
center operations.
During the discussion and staff follow-up, related questions also arose regarding where a data
center could appropriately be located under the Town's existing zoning pattern and what municipal
revenue, if any, could result from the use. The Mayor also asked whether the Town could impose a
franchise fee based on the amount of data transmitted by a data center.
Questions to consider in developing regulations for data centers include:
A. Zoning
1. Does Ordinance 2026-07 adequately define a data center facility for Cedaredge?
2. Does the Cedaredge Municipal Code Section 16.04.140 (“Zoning Table of Uses”) –
existing - include a category and use type that would accommodate a Data Center,
as defined in Ordinance 2026-07?
3. Based on the preferred definition, what use category does a data center fall under?
(e.g. heavy industrial, light industrial, heavy commercial, light commercial)

4. Given the nature of Cedaredge, should Data Centers - as defined in Ordinance
2026-07, be included in Title 16?
5. If allowed, what zoning designation(s) should be considered? Permitted Use?
Conditional Use?
6. Does the Town's current zoning pattern provide adequate location(s) for allowing a
data center?
7. Is a data center the type of use that is compatible in nature to be located adjacent to
residential uses?
B. Standards
1. How does the electrical demand of a data center compare with a conventional
manufacturing use of similar size?
2. What noise impacts are associated with data center operations?
3. Are the Town's existing standards adequate?
C. Policy (Board)
1. What municipal revenue options may be available, including DMEA franchise
revenue and the Mayor's question regarding a fee on data transmission?
The information below is intended to provide background for continued policy discussion. Actual
impacts and revenue potential would depend on the specific facility, utility service, equipment,
operating characteristics, and applicable agreements or regulations. Staff finds that the lack of
specific zoning, definitions and standards for data center facilities is therefore a potential issue to
address through the permanent code review.
DISCUSSION:
On August 20, 2026, the Board of Trustees determined that certain types of data centers could
create impacts on Town resources and there is not adequate protection in the Municipal Code. As
such, the Board adopted Ordinance 2026-07 imposing a temporary moratorium while regulations
are developed (Attachment A), starting with the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Zoning
Ordinance 2026-07 defines a data center facility as a purpose-built structure, substantial
modification to an existing structure, or integrated group of structures primarily used for computer
servers, data storage, large-scale digital data processing, networking equipment, and associated
infrastructure. It also excludes incidental business servers and certain telecommunications,
governmental, public utility, emergency service, health care, and educational systems. Examples
of Colorado Data Center definitions by other municipalities are included in Attachment B.
Section 16.04.140 CMC establishes a table of uses based on zoning designations. Uses are either
Permitted Use, Conditional Use (CUP required), or Prohibited Use. "Uses Not Listed" are allowed
as conditional uses in all zoning districts. “Data center" is not expressly listed as a use type in the
current Zoning Table of Uses. In staff’s opinion (interpretation), data centers would be allowed as
a conditional use in any zoning designation (including residential).
The 2008 Zoning Map (Attachment C) includes an IC (Industrial Commercial) category in the
legend, while current Title 16 establishes an “I” Industrial District. The mapped business (B-1) and
mixed-use commercial areas (MUC-D2, MUC-D1) are generally within or adjacent to residential
zoning, and the map does not show an obvious large nonresidential area isolated from residential
districts.

There are no parcels designated for Industrial use on the existing Zoning Map; however, the
Master Plan Future Land Use Map refers to “context-appropriate light industrial development
within the Highway Corridor Overlay (Attachment D). The Zoning is required to be consistent
the Master Plan; however, the Zoning Map has not been updated since the Master Plan was
adopted.
If data centers are allowed, there are general operational performance standards (Section
16.05.110) but no specific standards addressing potential impacts of a data center. Examples
reviewed place principal data centers in industrial or office/industrial areas and apply additional
siting controls. Mesa, Arizona requires industrial zoning and 400 feet of separation from
residential zoning or uses; Loudoun County, Virginia requires special exception approval in
industrial and certain office/research districts. For Cedaredge, the policy question is whether the
existing zoning pattern provides an appropriate location or whether industrial zoning, separation
standards, or other siting limits would be needed if the use is allowed.
Sources: Town of Cedaredge Zoning Map, adopted April 17, 2008; Cedaredge Municipal Code Sections 16.04.110 and 140;
Loudoun County, Virginia, Data Center Standards & Locations; City of Mesa, Arizona, Zoning Ordinance Section 11-31-36.

Electrical Consumption
For comparison, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's 2022 Manufacturing Energy
Consumption Survey reports fabricated metal product manufacturing at approximately 42.1 billion
kWh across 1.767 billion square feet, or 23.8 kWh per square foot annually. Applied to a 10,000square-foot facility, that average is about 238,000 kWh per year, equivalent to a 27 kW average
load.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory data center prototype models use IT equipment densities
of 100 to 500 watts per square foot. Applying those densities across 10,000 square feet and
Uptime Institute's 2026 industry-average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.52, the
illustrative total facility load is approximately 1.52 to 7.6 MW.
Illustrative 10,000-square-foot comparison:
Illustrative use

Approx. facility load

Approx. annual electricity

Fabricated metal manufacturing

27 kW average

238,000 kWh

Data center at 100 W/sf IT load

1.52 MW

13.3 million kWh

Data center at 500 W/sf IT load

7.6 MW

66.6 million kWh

The lower-density example uses about 56 times the annual electricity of the manufacturing
example; the higher-density example is about 280 times greater. These figures are not predictions
of a specific facility, but they demonstrate why electrical service capacity and maximum demand
are more meaningful measures of data center impact than building area alone.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2022 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey, Tables 5.3 and 9.1; Sun et al.,
"Prototype Energy Models for Data Centers," Energy and Buildings 231 (2021); Uptime Institute, "The Growing PUE Advantage
of Larger Data Centers," August 6, 2026.

Sound and Noise
Data center exterior noise typically comes from cooling equipment, fans, chillers, transformers,
pumps, and backup generators. Because cooling and electrical systems may operate continuously,
nighttime noise may be a particular consideration. Actual impacts remain site-specific.
Cedaredge already regulates noise under Section 16.05.110(J), which applies operational
performance standards in all zoning districts:
Zone

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Residential

55 dB(A)

50 dB(A)

Commercial

60 dB(A)

55 dB(A)

Light Industrial

70 dB(A)

65 dB(A)

Industrial

80 dB(A)

75 dB(A)

These standards would apply to a data center. P&Z's remaining policy question is whether
additional review requirements, such as an acoustical study, equipment enclosure, or other
mitigation, should be required because of continuous mechanical noise.
Source: Cedaredge Municipal Code Section 16.05.110(J), Operational Performance Standards.

Potential Revenue - DMEA Franchise Fee
As one potential municipal revenue source, staff reviewed the Town's existing DMEA franchise
agreement. Ordinance 2021-03 establishes a franchise fee equal to 3% of annual gross revenue
from electricity sold within Town, but excludes "Industrial Customers," defined by DMEA's
Industrial-Distribution Voltage or Industrial-Transmission Voltage tariffs. If a data center is
classified as an Industrial Customer, revenue from its electricity use would not be included in the
Town's franchise fee calculation.
The agreement also makes the franchise fee DMEA's exclusive monetary payment for use of Town
rights-of-way. Article 5 allows the Town and DMEA to mutually modify the calculation method,
including a possible volume-based calculation. The Town therefore should not assume high data
center electricity use will produce higher franchise revenue; any change would require
coordination with DMEA and legal review.
Source: Town of Cedaredge Ordinance 2021-03, Franchise Agreement Between the Town of Cedaredge and Delta-Montrose
Electric Association, Sections 1.8, 4.1, and 5.1.

Franchise Fee on Data Transmission
The Mayor also asked whether the Town could charge a franchise fee based on the volume of data
transmitted to or from a data center. This is separate from the DMEA franchise.
Telecommunications franchise or right-of-way charges generally relate to a provider's use of
public rights-of-way rather than a customer's volume of internet traffic.
Cedaredge's Charter addresses telecommunications franchises, while federal and Colorado law
limit local regulation and compensation associated with telecommunications facilities and public
rights-of-way. Staff has not identified clear authority allowing the Town to charge a data center
based on gigabytes, terabytes, or other data volume. A charge tied directly to internet access or

data consumption could also raise issues under the Internet Tax Freedom Act. Any such proposal
should therefore be reviewed by the Town Attorney before further consideration.
Sources: Cedaredge Home Rule Charter Section 9-4; 47 U.S.C. Section 253(c); C.R.S. Sections 38-5.5-106 and 38-5.5-107;
Internet Tax Freedom Act, 47 U.S.C. Section 151 note.

ATTACHMENT B

EXAMPLES OF COLORADO DATA CENTER DEFINITIONS
Purpose. The examples below are provided only as a starting point for the September 2 discussion. They
summarize how selected Colorado jurisdictions define or classify data center uses. No specific language is
proposed for Cedaredge at this meeting.
City of Golden
Source: Golden Municipal Code § 18.04.020, Definition of Terms. | Online source

Definition approach: A data center is a building, or the predominant portion of a building, used by
telecommunications carriers or internet providers where servers, data-storage devices, switches, routers,
and comparable telecommunications or data-processing equipment are concentrated and physically
secured. A significant portion of the floor area and/or electrical capacity and resources must be devoted to
the data-center use. The definition excludes extractive data mining and wireless telecommunications
facilities.
Key drafting feature: Uses a predominant-use concept and ties the definition to a significant
commitment of floor area or electrical resources.
City of Arvada
Source: Arvada Land Development Code, Chapter 11, definition of “Data Center.” | Online source

Definition approach: A data center includes a building used exclusively for transmission and exchange
of telephone signals, or a facility used by telecommunications carriers or internet providers where servers,
storage devices, switches, routers, and similar technology infrastructure are concentrated and physically
secured. Equipment may be owned or operated by more than one entity. Wireless communications
facilities are excluded. The code also recognizes terms such as telephone exchange, telecommunications
hotel, and server farm.
Key drafting feature: Uses a traditional telecommunications/equipment-based definition without a
power or building-size threshold.
City of Longmont
Source: Longmont Development Code update; Ordinance 2026-34 (approved June 9, 2026). | Online source

Definition approach: Longmont separately identifies a hyperscale data center based on electrical
demand. A hyperscale facility is a data center with projected or contracted peak electrical demand of 100
megawatts or more, either at initial operation or through phased load expansion. Smaller colocation,
enterprise, edge, public, emergency, and critical-infrastructure computing facilities below that threshold
are treated separately.
Key drafting feature: Creates a measurable scale threshold so very large facilities can be regulated
differently from smaller data-center uses.
Weld County
Source: Weld County Code § 23-1-90, definition of “Data Center.” | Adopted ordinance

Definition approach: A data center is a building or buildings housing information-technology or
telecommunications equipment through which digital information is processed, transferred, or stored. The
definition does not depend on peak electrical load and may include ancillary structures such as offices,
security buildings, cooling-water tanks, and backup power systems.
Key drafting feature: Uses a broad function-based definition and expressly captures supporting
structures rather than only the primary building.
Montrose County (regional example)
Source: Montrose County Resolution 23-2026, temporary data-center moratorium, Item 2. | Resolution 23-2026

Definition approach: For the moratorium, a data center facility includes a purpose-built structure,
substantial modification to an existing structure, or integrated group of structures designed and used
primarily for computer servers, data storage, large-scale digital processing, or networking equipment,
together with associated cooling, backup power, telecommunications, and battery-storage infrastructure.
The definition also recognizes facilities that typically require significant electrical power, water, or
infrastructure support.
Key drafting feature: Captures an entire development, including conversions and supporting
infrastructure, and acknowledges resource intensity.

~ 53 ~

Future Land Use

TOWN OF CEDAREDGE 2025 Master Plan

See page 53
for detail.

PAGE 48

TOWN OF CEDAREDGE 2025 Master Plan
Highway Corridor Overlay: As outlined in various sections of the Goals, Objectives, and
Policy Statements chapter of the Master Plan, State Highway 65 should be elevated as an
opportunity for the community, rather than a barrier between east and west Cedaredge. To
do so, this overlay is intended to serve multiple purposes as outlined below:
1. Indicate the Town’s interest in incentivizing commercial and context-appropriate
light-industrial development (and redevelopment) along the corridor in alignment
with the goals of this master plan.
2. Strengthen funding and partnership opportunities to realize the future (to be
developed – TNI-2.3.1) vision for this corridor. Note:
This can also be a signal to support better
coordination between the Town and CDOT as
roadway reconfiguration and improvements take
place (TNI-2.3).
3. Elevate the opportunity to better link each side of
the highway into a more cohesive community – shift
SH65 from being perceived as a barrier to an asset
and opportunity for the community to leverage in a
multitude of ways.
4. Support the development of light-industrial land
uses that are appropriate in scale and intensity for
the character of the corridor and adjacent land
uses.
Downtown District and Transition Zone: The Downtown
District highlights the core of the community and the opportunity for a continued push for a
mix of uses, an elevated intensity of uses, and opportunities to increase gentle density in
this area of the community. The Downtown District is ripe with adaptive reuse
opportunities, a shift in the typical land use development paradigm that has the potential
to include multiple uses within or on one property. For example, Town staff has had
conversations with several interested individuals on infill opportunities mixing ground floor
retail/commercial with second floor residential. Not only would these types of uses
increase economic development for the downtown core and the broader community, but
support placemaking opportunities in the core along with the provision of affordable
housing and flexible building use.
The Downtown Transition Zone has been included as an overlay to consider the intensity of
uses on the fringe of downtown to be congruent with the residential uses bordering the
downtown district. The line between the downtown district and the transition zone should
PAGE 49