Virginia Beach mulls data center moratorium until it can devise regulations
Virginia Beach is considering enacting a temporary moratorium on new data center permits to develop comprehensive zoning regulations. This move mirrors actions taken by neighboring cities Chesapeake and Suffolk, as officials grapple with current zoning rules that allow data centers to be built by right.
Virginia Beach is contemplating a temporary moratorium on new data center permits, aiming to allow the City Council to revise its zoning code to properly address data center development. John Ducet of WHRO News reported that this consideration follows similar actions by neighboring cities Chesapeake and Suffolk in the Hampton Roads area.
John Cen, chair of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission, previously warned the council that current zoning regulations enable data centers to be built "by right." He suggested that a moratorium could be a necessary step until a comprehensive regulatory path is established.
Despite the City Council indicating earlier in the summer an intention to ban large-scale data centers, a clear timeline for this action remains unconfirmed. Officials have emphasized the complexity of the issue, citing the varied types and sizes of data centers that need to be considered in new regulations.