Danville Considering Data Center Rules

The city of Danville, Virginia, is considering implementing new rules for data center development. While there are no current data center projects planned, the city's planning department is proposing changes to its development code due to mild interest from data center companies. The proposed regulations aim to restrict the placement of data centers, requiring them to be at least 500 feet from any residential property and to have a minimum of 150 acres of land with a 20-foot vegetative buffer. City Manager Ken Larkin emphasized the importance of well-planned communities, ensuring commercial and industrial uses, like data centers, are located appropriately away from residential areas. The new rules would also include raising taxes on data centers. One of the primary concerns with data centers, their significant water usage for cooling, was addressed by Larkin, who stated that Danville is uniquely suited to handle this issue due to its existing infrastructure.