MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Marana has approved new regulations for data centers, concluding months of community debate over how the town should manage the growing industry within its borders.
The new rules include noise limits for data centers located near neighborhoods and decommissioning requirements for any data centers built within town limits.
With the vote official, any potential data center project in Marana will have to follow these regulations before receiving approval.
Data centers have become an increasingly prominent topic in Marana. A rezoning request for one data center near Luckett Road has already been approved, and a second project application has been submitted to the Marana Town Council.
The town began working on these regulations in December 2024, and the newly approved rules represent the council's latest effort to minimize the effect data center projects will have on the community.
Not everyone is satisfied with the outcome, however.
Sue Ritz has been among the most vocal critics, arguing the regulations do not go far enough and that the council should have called a full stop on data center development.
"Put a moratorium on it now and get more information and do the right thing for the people in the town," Ritz said.
Overall, Ritz wants the ordinance against these potential data centers to be more strict.
"It's not going to do what it needs to do," Ritz said. " Really get down and dirty with the experts and figure out how to write an ordinance that's going to have some teeth."
She also questioned the town's motivations for continuing to move the projects forward.
"The data centers are taking advantage of the greed in the town, the desire for the town to have these things and not what the people actually want," Ritz said.
Other community members shared similar concerns during the council meeting. Greg Johnsen called on the council to pull the item entirely.
"We need to take back the ordinance, and take the item off the agenda so we can do our homework," Johnsen said.
Ritz also issued a broader warning ahead of the vote.
"We need to take a step back and take a look at what don't know, along with what we need to know to keep the town safe," Ritz said.
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JJ McKinney joined KGUN 9 in July of 2025 as a multimedia journalist. He graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2025 with a degree in journalism and media communications and a minor in law. With a background in investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking, JJ is dedicated to giving a platform to the voices of his community. Share your story ideas and important issues with JJ by emailing jj.mckinney@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
