Board approves phased grandfathering rules for in-process data center applications, directs staff to return with final language

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on March 4 directed staff to draft a set of grandfathering resolutions and a zoning-text amendment intended to manage more than 40 data-center applications already in the county’s review pipeline.

The board’s action followed a staff presentation that said 41 data-center applications were currently under review — 20 legislative applications and 21 administrative applications — and recommended a narrow set of grandfathering measures so in-process projects could proceed under the regulations in effect when they were accepted for review. Staff also proposed a footnote to table 3.02.05.1 of the zoning ordinance to permit “minor changes” to approved data-center site plans without requiring a new special exception.

Why it matters: Loudoun has the largest cluster of data centers in the United States and the industry accounts for major county revenue. Residents and environmental groups urged stricter oversight, citing noise, air and water impacts and community impacts adjacent to schools and residential neighborhoods. The board spent significant time weighing legal limits, fairness…