Rizer Requests Advisory Opinion on 2000 Data Center Zoning Determination
Loudoun County's Executive Director of Economic Development, Buddy Rizer, has requested an advisory opinion on whether a 2000 zoning determination, which allowed data centers by-right as offices, remains valid. This clarification is crucial as county leaders, including the Board of Supervisors who adopted new zoning rules last year, seek to manage rapid data center growth and address public opposition to new developments.
Loudoun County Executive Director of Economic Development Buddy Rizer has formally requested an advisory opinion from Zoning Administrator Teresa Miller regarding the validity of a 2000 zoning determination. This determination originally classified data centers as offices, allowing them to be built "by-right" in many commercial areas without special exception review, significantly contributing to the county's rapid data center growth.
While the Board of Supervisors adopted new zoning rules last year requiring special exception review for all new data center projects, Rizer notes that hundreds of acres previously rezoned for office use may still be exempt under the old rules. His request seeks clarity on whether the current Zoning Ordinance, which has been substantially revised over the past 25 years, now establishes data centers as a distinct use and, if so, which provisions govern their classification.
The urgency for this clarification was highlighted by George Washington University's sale of its 120-acre Loudoun campus to Amazon Data Services, a potential development that has faced opposition from county officials. Additionally, B.F. Saul announced plans for a 52-acre data center project, and a new application for a 1-million-square-foot data center along Shaw Road is currently under review by the Planning Commission. These projects are believed by developers to fall under older zoning ordinances, underscoring the need for a definitive interpretation to provide predictability for both the county and the business community.
Supervisors Juli E. Briskman and Sylvia R. Glass are also involved, with Briskman requesting a study on the impacts of data center development on the former GWU site, and Glass noting a developer's reliance on a 1986 Zoning Ordinance for another parcel.