Henrico supervisors defer data‑center zoning; direct staff to require provisional use permits countywide

Henrico County’s Board of Supervisors on Wednesday deferred final votes on a comprehensive‑plan amendment and a package of zoning changes meant to regulate data centers and directed staff to prepare and re‑advertise an alternative that would remove a proposed White Oak overlay and require provisional use permits for data centers countywide.

The board voted to postpone action to its June 10 regular meeting after a two‑and‑a‑half hour joint public hearing with the Planning Commission at Highland Springs High School that drew dozens of speakers and repeated pleas from local residents and developers. The Planning Commission had recommended both the comprehensive‑plan amendment and the zoning ordinance changes earlier in the meeting.

County planning staff presented two linked proposals: a comprehensive‑plan amendment to create a Technology Boulevard special focus area that would include guidance and development objectives for data centers; and zoning ordinance changes to define data‑center types, create a White Oak Technology Park Area Overlay District, and require a provisional use permit (PUP) for new data centers built outside that overlay. Ben Seale of the county planning staff summarized the package to the joint bodies, telling members the amendments were intended to “guide development standards for data centers in the county.”

Supporters of…