Crowd packs hearing as Henry County goes 'back to the drawing board' on data center regulations
Residents of Henry County, Virginia, packed a public hearing to express strong opposition to proposed data center zoning amendments, citing concerns over water and noise. Following resident input, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to remove data centers from the amendments, opting to go "back to the drawing board" for new regulations, leaving the county without specific data center parameters for now.
More than 100 residents attended a Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting, which included a public hearing on proposed data center zoning amendments. Residents expressed significant concerns regarding water usage, noise pollution, health impacts, and animal habitats, arguing that the proposed regulations were not stringent enough.
Following the public outcry, board Chairman Jim Adams stated they would go "back to the drawing board." The board subsequently voted unanimously to remove data centers from the proposed zoning amendments. This decision leaves Henry County without specific parameters for data centers, though the planning commission is tasked with developing new proposals, with no timeline yet established.
Lee Clark, the county’s director of planning, zoning and building inspections, noted that the removed amendments would have established minimum guidelines, including requirements for water impact studies, noise testing, and industrial zoning. However, residents like Melody Cartwright demanded "strict codification" rather than minimums. County Attorney George Lyle advised against a data center moratorium, which some residents requested.
Separately, during the same meeting, the board approved other amendments, including a reduction in the cap on land for solar projects to 1,754 acres, effectively halting future solar developments in the county.