Suffolk is right to hit the brakes on data centers
The Suffolk Planning Commission voted 8-0 to recommend prohibiting standalone data centers as a primary use in every city zoning district. The City Council is scheduled to consider the proposal on Oct. 21, while the editorial urges officials to use the pause to establish rules for land use, water, power, noise and community impacts rather than permanently banning the industry.
The Suffolk Planning Commission unanimously recommended prohibiting data centers as a primary use in every zoning district, a proposal the City Council is expected to consider Oct. 21. If approved, standalone data centers could not be processed under the city’s current zoning ordinance or receive a conditional-use permit.
The Suffolk News-Herald editorial supports the temporary halt as a way to develop standards for infrastructure, water and power consumption, noise, buffers, environmental safeguards and community benefits. It cites commissioners Mary Ellen Baur, Johnnie Edwards and Gerald Goodman, who supported establishing local conditions while cautioning against permanently rejecting data centers or allowing fear to drive policy. The editorial also references Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s Data Center Accountability Framework, which calls for greater disclosure, environmental protections and local participation.