Suffolk planners back data center ban

The Suffolk Planning Commission unanimously endorsed a citywide ban on standalone data centers on September 15, recommending the prohibition to the City Council. This measure, if adopted by the City Council on October 21, would effectively block new standalone data center projects by prohibiting them as a primary use in every Suffolk zoning district, allowing the city to develop long-term regulations.

Planning Director Kevin Wyne explained that the ban grew out of a City Council directive to address ambiguities in the current Unified Development Ordinance that could allow data centers under other permitted uses. The proposed ordinance includes a clear definition of a data center and would amend warehouse definitions to prevent circumvention. Commissioners referred to the ordinance as a "pause" and emphasized the importance of establishing city rules before specific developer applications.

This local initiative follows Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger's Executive Order 22, which established a statewide Data Center Accountability Framework. The framework calls for greater public disclosure, tougher environmental safeguards, and more local involvement in data center decisions. It also directs the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to designate the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area, including Suffolk, as a "cooling water scarcity area" to address water usage for data center cooling.