Planning commission backs text change to allow board to grant industrial building heights above 50 feet

The King George County Planning Commission voted to forward ordinance amendment OA-01-25 to the Board of Supervisors with a favorable recommendation, allowing the board to grant special exceptions permitting building heights greater than 50 feet in the county’s industrial zoning district.

The amendment would add language that lets the Board of Supervisors approve taller industrial buildings on a case-by-case basis through a special-exception process, while leaving the current 1:1 additional setback requirement (one additional foot of setback for every foot of height over 35 feet) available to the approving body.

Commissioners and public speakers stressed that the change does not automatically permit taller buildings; it creates a formal avenue to request exceptions and to attach conditions. “With a special exception, you can establish conditions that could be beyond that one foot for every foot of height,” a county staff member said during the discussion, noting that setbacks, screening, and other conditions could be imposed.

Discussion focused on life-safety implications and community character. Commissioners pressed for clarity on how the county’s fire-rescue services could respond to taller structures. Commissioners and staff referenced a range of ladder-truck capabilities and noted that special-exception approvals could include requirements such as funding or other measures that enable emergency response. The planning commission also reviewed the ordinance’s definition of building height—“the vertical distance from the average grade to the highest point of the roof structure”—and confirmed parapets are part of that measurement under Article 11, Section 11-11-4.

Developers and an industry representative urged the change so King George can compete for projects that need taller structures, such as some data centers. Hobie Mitchell, managing partner of Green Energy Ventures, told the commission the current limit “is simply not competitive and will not attract the proper data center development in King George County.” Municap consultant Emily Metzler presented the economic methodology used for a separate rezoning application, explaining how property and personal property valuation assumptions drive fiscal projections.

Commissioners who opposed the amendment said they worried the change could erode the county’s rural character or open a “Pandora’s box” if industrial zoning expands elsewhere. Several commissioners asked staff to return with clarifications and suggested that, if the Board approves the text amendment, the commission should follow with ordinance cleanup (for example, reconciling a separate data-center performance standard found in Section 7-6-5).

The commission voted 6-2 to recommend approval and sent OA-01-25 to the Board of Supervisors. The motion passed following roll call; two commissioners recorded negative votes. The commission’s recommendation does not itself change the zoning code—final action rests with the Board of Supervisors.

Looking ahead, staff said they will prepare clarifying language and noted the Board of Supervisors will make the final determination. The planning commission placed emphasis on the special-exception framework as the mechanism to attach conditions addressing public safety, visual screening, stormwater and other concerns.