Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Centers Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts data‑center rules; adds energy‑capacity verification, recheck schedule and expansion limits
Summary
York County supervisors adopted amendments to the zoning ordinance establishing standards for data centers. The ordinance requires utilities to confirm sufficient capacity, mandates five‑year reverification, limits expansion without new approvals and tightens generator testing limits, after a board amendment.
York County supervisors on the evening of the meeting adopted an amendment to the county zoning ordinance that creates a regulatory framework for data centers in the county.
Planning staff presented the draft ordinance, which adds a definition for “data center,” inserts data centers into the table of land uses, and establishes performance standards covering energy and water confirmation, noise limits, setbacks, architectural standards and safety. The planning commission had recommended approval by unanimous vote.
Board members and members of the public pressed staff and each other on how the county will ensure utility systems have adequate capacity. In response, the board made three explicit changes on the record before adoption: adding the phrase “with sufficient capacity” to the utility‑confirmation requirement; requiring electric (and water) capacity re‑verification at five‑year intervals as a condition of approval; and limiting any increase in load without further board review to 25% of the originally approved grid load. The board also confirmed that the county will require utilities to certify capacity based on the project’s full, ultimate build‑out, not just initial phases, so future expansion cannot occur without review.
Supervisor Holroyd urged the additions. “Get some ordinances in place,” he said, and recommended adding the capacity language and a re‑verification cadence. The board also revised the proposed generator‑testing rule: staff had proposed a limit of two hours per day on weekdays; the board altered that to a stricter limit of one hour per week for on‑site generator testing to reduce noise and community impacts.
Public commenters raised related concerns. Anne Gregorian, a Yorktown resident, said she supported the Holroyd recommendations and urged the county to require low‑frequency (C‑weighted) noise measurements for fan noise from data centers. “I agree with, Mister Holroyd’s two recommendations,” she said, and urged use of the C weight for constant fan noise. Mark Williams, another resident, urged the county to study how utilities like Dominion would supply any new load and suggested renewable options such as on‑site solar for mitigation.
Because the ordinance creates a new regulated use, staff and board members noted that any future data center proposal would still require site‑specific review: each data center would need a special‑use permit and the board could ask for additional conditions beyond the ordinance standards if warranted.
Votes: the board adopted the ordinance as amended (listed in the record as proposed ordinance 25‑16 R).
