Rushmark withdraws application for data-center zoning change
Rushmark Rockland Road LLC has withdrawn its application for a zoning change in Warren County, Virginia, that would have allowed for data center development. The decision follows growing community opposition and a recommendation from the Planning Commission to deny the application. This marks the second time an attempt to open the county to data centers has failed.
Rushmark Rockland Road LLC has withdrawn its application to amend Warren County, Virginia's zoning ordinance to permit data centers on industrial property. Interim County Administrator Jane Meadows announced the cancellation of the Board of Supervisors' public hearing, which had been scheduled for August 18.
The company had sought the zoning amendment to allow data centers by conditional-use permit and simultaneously applied for a permit to build two data centers and an electrical substation on its 46-acre property near Rockland Road. Planning Director Kelly Wahl confirmed that Rushmark could re-apply for the zoning amendment without a waiting period.
The withdrawal comes after significant community opposition to the proposed zoning change and data centers in general. The Planning Commission had previously recommended, by a 4-0 vote in July, that the supervisors deny the zoning text amendment. This is the second time an effort to introduce data centers to Warren County has failed, following a similar denial by supervisors in 2023.