Chesapeake City Council tightens data center rules, seeks state opinion on possible ban
Chesapeake City Council unanimously voted to tighten data center development rules, eliminating by-right construction and requiring rezoning or conditional use permits. The Council also discussed seeking an opinion from Virginia's Attorney General on a potential city-wide ban, while an existing eight-month moratorium remains in effect.
The Chesapeake City Council has unanimously approved significant changes to the city's data center policies. These new rules eliminate "by right" construction for data centers, meaning future projects will require either rezoning or conditional use permits. The decision comes amidst ongoing resident concerns regarding the environmental and infrastructure impacts of data center development.
During the meeting, council members also considered requesting an official opinion from Virginia's Attorney General on the legality of implementing a complete ban on data centers within the city. An eight-month moratorium on new data center proposals in Chesapeake is currently in effect.