Suffolk City Council approves temporary ban on data centers
Suffolk City Council unanimously approved a temporary prohibition on data center development and applications, allowing city planners time to develop new regulations. The ban has no specified end date and is expected to be replaced by rules that would allow data centers under terms acceptable to the city.
Suffolk City Council unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting data centers and data center development, immediately preventing new applications in the city. The measure is intended to give planning staff time to consult with residents and neighboring localities before establishing new development terms.
Council member John Rector said the city eventually plans to reauthorize data centers under regulations agreeable to Suffolk rather than operators. The ordinance also added a specific data center definition to the city’s zoning rules to eliminate uncertainty over whether warehouse classifications could permit such projects.
The length of the prohibition was not specified. Suffolk joins Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, which have adopted temporary pauses, amid broader opposition citing potential air quality, groundwater and noise impacts.