Powhatan planners defer vote on Newport Equities data‑center rezoning, citing utility and site plan questions

The Powhatan Planning Commission voted Sept. 2 to defer for 30 days a recommendation on Newport Equities’ rezoning and concurrent conditional‑use permit for a proposed data‑center campus, citing unresolved utility commitments, incomplete site plans and outstanding mitigation proffers.

Planning Director Ligon Webb presented staff analysis noting the application seeks to rezone about 61.8 acres to Light Industrial and to allow data‑center buildings up to 75 feet (90 feet including screened rooftop equipment). Webb told the commission the unified campus — including adjacent parcels rezoned in 2024 — has been evaluated at up to about 1.7–2.0 million square feet and an estimated combined electrical load of roughly 300–400 megawatts.

“The project is already on Dominion’s radar given the estimated 3 to 400 megawatt load,” Webb said, but added that Dominion’s earlier “will‑serve” letter represents a planning‑level commitment and that a formal letter of authorization (LOA) — the company’s true capacity reservation — can be issued only after the developer submits detailed construction and load plans. Webb also warned that substation components can have a five‑year lead time, and that wastewater and pump‑station upgrades would likely require proportional contributions from the developer.

Mark Kurzlake, representing the applicant, said the current concept would expand previously planned square footage by about 30 percent and that the team expects the campus to use roughly 200,000–250,000 gallons of water per day under the larger build‑out. He told commissioners that end‑users have been identified and that site‑plan and jurisdictional wetland determinations remain outstanding.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on the absence of a detailed site plan, the location and timing of a needed substation and whether required off‑site improvements (including an estimated $7 million pump station and a $12 million wastewater plant expansion identified in staff materials) would be funded before or after permits are issued. Several members also raised construction‑phase traffic as a greater near‑term impact than the low operational trip generation typical of data centers.

District 2’s commissioner moved to defer the rezoning and the related CUP for 30 days “to iron out final points” and allow staff to work with the applicant; the motion was amended on the floor and passed by roll call 5–0. The CUP was deferred in the same motion package to keep the two cases aligned.

Next steps: staff and the applicant will continue to finalize proffers and engineering plans and work with Dominion and VDOT on capacity and transportation engineering. The commission’s advisory recommendation will be reconsidered once the additional details are submitted and before the Board of Supervisors hearing scheduled for Oct. 27, 2025, as cited by staff.

Reporting note: Quotes in this article are pulled from the Sept. 2, 2025 meeting presentation and Q&A.