Front Royal Planning Commission Recommends Data Center Prohibition

The Front Royal Town Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the Town Council adopt an ordinance to define and prohibit data centers within the town's industrial and mixed campus development zones. The recommendation, made at a special meeting on July 29, follows a year of extensive public discussions and reflects strong citizen opposition to data center development, with residents expressing a desire to preserve the town's rural character.

Deputy Zoning Administrator John Ware presented the proposed definition, which uses energy thresholds and infrastructure descriptions to distinguish data centers from other technology businesses. The prohibition would exempt critical community services like hospitals or offices where data usage is ancillary. The commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the definition and prohibition to the council, despite Chairman Allen Neel noting that performance standards could have worked.

Planning Director and Zoning Administrator Lauren Kopishke, in a memo, expressed concerns that the council's June 22 mandate for a prohibition represents a significant departure from existing policy, such as the comprehensive plan. She had previously advocated for regulating data centers through restrictive ordinances under a special-use permitting process to maintain optimal control. Nevertheless, Neel praised the evening as a success for community engagement in local government.