Roanoke City Council Adopts Special Exception Permit Requirement for Data Centers
Roanoke City Council unanimously approved regulations requiring a special exception permit for any company bringing a data center into the city. The council also discussed further amendments to the zoning ordinance, with a citizen-proposed change for residential districts being sent back to city staff for review, potentially causing delays.
The Roanoke City Council held a continued zoning ordinance meeting where regulations concerning data centers were a key point of discussion. The council unanimously approved new rules proposed by the Roanoke City Planning Commission, which will now mandate that any company seeking to establish a data center in the city must obtain a special exception permit.
The meeting also delved into potential amendments for residential district dimensional regulations. City staff had previously crafted and secured planning commission approval for changes aimed at increasing lot area per dwelling unit and reducing maximum units per lot. However, a group of citizens presented a different proposal for these dimensions.
Despite resistance from Mayor Joe Cobb and council members Peter Volosin and Vivian Sanchez-Jones, a 4-3 council majority decided to send the citizen-proposed ordinance back to city staff for review. This decision was made to address citizen concerns, as noted by council member Nick Hagen, but was criticized by Volosin who highlighted that the citizen proposal had not undergone public hearings or vetting by the planning commission. City Manager Valmarie Turner indicated that this additional review could lead to several months of delays due to staff capacity limitations.