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Piedmont Environmental Council urges Culpeper to ban new data centers in draft code
Summary
The Piedmont Environmental Council asked the commission to prohibit new data centers in all zoning districts rather than rely on conditional use permits, saying the town has no desire for additional data centers beyond those already approved.
The Piedmont Environmental Council urged the Planning Commission to remove data centers as an allowable use in the Town of Culpeper's draft unified development ordinance, arguing conditional use permits are insufficient to prevent additional data center development.
Sarah Parmley of the Piedmont Environmental Council said the draft’s requirement of a use permit for data centers was an improvement over the current code but recommended an outright prohibition. “It is our understanding that the town does not want any more data centers than have already been approved,” Parmley said, referencing previously approved campuses (Copper Ridge and the Culpeper Technology Campus), which contain proffers reserving their own rights.
Parmley noted regional interest in assembling multiple small parcels for larger data center campuses, citing recent activity in neighboring jurisdictions and arguing that removing data centers from the use table would reduce speculative interest. She clarified that removing data centers from the UDO would not affect the already‑approved campus proffers that explicitly reserved data center uses.
Commissioners acknowledged the concern and noted the difference between existing approved campuses and potential new proposals. The commission did not take an immediate regulatory action on the request but included the testimony in the public record to be forwarded to town council.
