Mecklenburg supervisors approve rezones for data-center expansion, back broadband grant applications and move $6.5M school construction aid into school control

The Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved multiple rezoning and permitting requests to allow data-center expansion near Clarksville, voted to send letters of support for two broadband grant applications, and adopted a budget amendment to transfer a $6.5 million state school-construction award from a county fund to the school division.

The board approved several applications from Burlington Industrial Properties to rezone parcels from Business B-1 to Industrial M-1 to allow construction of data centers after a presentation by a developer representative identified in the meeting as Melissa, who said the company pursues adaptive reuse of industrial buildings for data halls. "We would be able to start construction and have this be constructed in parallel, but we can't fill our halls, with tenant needs without the power," Melissa said, describing a phased buildout that would require additional transmission capacity for later phases.

The rezoning approvals came after extended discussion about how the new power would be delivered. A Dominion Energy representative described the regulatory path for new transmission: routes and final design would be set by the utility and reviewed in a formal public process before the State Corporation Commission (SCC). The representative said local governments and the public would have opportunities to comment during route selection and that the utility could intervene at the SCC stage if county interests were harmed.

David, identified as a representative of Empower (broadband developer), also addressed the board and asked for a county letter of support for a BEED (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) grant proposal. He said the regional projects Empower has completed to date have made fiber available to 7,476 locations in the county and that 2,106 addresses in Mecklenburg remain unserved; the three regional grants noted in the presentation covered 23,195 locations across the region and 11,990 of them are in Mecklenburg. The board voted to authorize support letters for Empower and for Verizon’s application.

On the budget amendment, County staff told the board the Virginia Department of Education has directed reimbursements for the Clarksville Elementary School project to come to the school division rather than to the county fund that originally received the Commonwealth award. The board adopted a budget amendment to reappropriate those funds into the school-controlled fund and approved a short-term general-fund advance to provide cash flow until state reimbursements arrive.

Other items approved in the session included adoption of a county construction traffic management plan, final adoption of the comprehensive plan after a second public hearing, the relocation of three polling places (precincts 803 and 703 to the Estes Center and 103 to Clarksville Elementary), acceptance of a $1,035,191 bid award for a Bailey campus ground-storage tank, and authorization to accept deeded rights needed for a Highway 92 improvement project.

Public comment included a request from Beverly Wood of Chase City for a county match of $250,000 to complete a $750,000 state grant for restoration of the historic Mecca (Macca) Theater. Wood said phase 1 construction is estimated at $998,700 and the DHR (Department of Historic Resources) grant will fund part of that work.

Votes at a glance: - Burlington Industrial Properties LLC (PRN 8955, 8954, 35220, 35219, 39754, 39753): Rezones from Business B-1 to Industrial M-1 to allow data centers — public hearings opened and each rezone accepted upon planning commission recommendation; motion(s) carried (individual roll-call tallies not specified). - Burlington Industries Properties LLC (PRN 8869): Rezone from Business B-1 to Residential R-1A to allow a duplex — approved (motion carried). - Zoning ordinance amendment (Paul Jackson & Barry Uhr): Allow truck pulls and demolition derbies in Business B-1 by special exception permit — approved. - Special exception (Willie Price): Two recreational vehicle sites — approved. - Special exception (James & Deborah Thompson): Second home on property — approved. - Jody Williams & Frank Stratos: Rezone from Agricultural to Industrial M-1 for a small satellite concrete plant — approved. - Construction Traffic Management Plan: Received/approved after public hearing. - Comprehensive Plan (final adoption): Approved after supplemental advertisement and public hearing. - School construction assistance budget amendment (realign $6,500,000 and short-term general-fund advance): Approved. - Polling-place moves (Precincts 803 and 703 to Estes Center; Precinct 103 to Clarksville Elementary): Approved. - Bid award: Mid Atlantic Storage Systems for Bailey campus ground-storage tank, $1,035,191 — approved. - Highway 92 deed acceptances for property rights: Authorized acceptance — approved. - Revocable license to David Slater for access across county property: Approved.

Why it matters: The rezones clear the way for immediate construction steps and set in motion further utility and regulatory processes for major, power-intensive facilities; endorsing broadband grant applications advances a multi-year effort to extend fiber to unserved households; and the budget action realigns state construction aid so the school division can draw reimbursements and continue Clarksville Elementary work.

Officials said the data-center expansion will be phased, that final transmission routing is subject to utility study and SCC review, and that broadband projects will include low-income service offerings as BEED funding requires. The board directed staff to keep supervisors informed as the utility routing, BEED application and school reimbursements progress.