Fauquier County Planners Recommend Zoning Changes to Restrict Data Center Development
Fauquier County's Planning Commission has unanimously recommended zoning changes that would significantly restrict new data center projects to only one specific area: "planned commercial industrial development" (PCID) in the Vint Hill area. The amendment would remove data centers as a permitted use in "business park" (BP) zones and mandate a special exception permit for all future applications, citing concerns over electrical grid strain, pollution, and the preservation of the county's rural character.
The Fauquier County Planning Commission has unanimously recommended significant zoning changes that would limit new data center developments to a single "planned commercial industrial development" (PCID) zoning district, specifically the Vint Hill area. This decision follows concerns from staff about the strain on the electrical grid, noise and air pollution, and the impact on the county's rural and agricultural character.
Under the proposed amendment, data centers would no longer be a permitted use in "business park" (BP) zones, where they previously crowded out other planned uses. Furthermore, all future data center applications in the PCID district would require a special exception permit, necessitating approval from the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors. The amendment also includes clarified definitions for "data centers" and "data and computer services" within the county code.
The commission's staff highlighted a history of withdrawn business park data center applications and a "demonstrated lack of success" for proposals requiring rezoning, noting two recent withdrawals near Remington. Planning Commission Chair John Meadows concluded the meeting, which was the last at the Warren Green Building before its transfer to developer Kevin Ash, with an acknowledgement of the building's history.