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Campbell County board keeps temporary restrictions on data centers, orders 120‑day review
Summary
After hours of public testimony, the Campbell County Board of Supervisors voted 4–3 to keep data centers subject to a special‑use review for 120 days so staff can review the JLARC study and draft clearer code language, preserving the board’s ability to impose site‑specific conditions while it studies long‑term options.
The Campbell County Board of Supervisors voted to keep data centers under a temporary special‑use review for an additional 120 days, directing staff to review the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report and return with recommendations.
The substitute motion, offered by Chair Tom Lawton and approved by a 4–3 roll call, preserves the emergency ordinance adopted in December while the board examines whether data centers should remain a by‑right use with additional conditions or remain subject to special‑use permitting. Lawton said the extension would give the board “time to review the JLARC study from 12/09/2024, take into account community comments, and propose edits,” and that staff should return with a proposal before the temporary protection lapses.
Why it matters: public speakers and supervisors framed the debate as a tradeoff between economic opportunity and local control. Proponents argued data centers can expand the tax base with limited school and service impacts and create construction and operations revenue; opponents raised concerns about large water withdrawals, noise and emissions from backup generators, transmission‑line impacts and the loss of local public‑review opportunities if data centers are allowed by right.
Supporters at the public hearing said the county has attractive land, connectivity and power infrastructure and that properly sited data centers can deliver long‑term revenue. “Data centers are long‑term infrastructure,” industry speaker Scott Worley told the board, citing industry estimates of tax revenue per megawatt. Residents and community groups countered that the county needs rules to limit water use, ensure closed‑loop cooling, control noise and require transparency; Sandy Glass asked the board to “keep the special use permit process in place,” saying the current code lacks limits on water, cooling, wastewater, and generator use.
What the board directed: The board’s action keeps the special‑use process in place for 120 days and instructs staff to prepare model code language and options informed by the JLARC report and public input. County staff and the county attorney told the board their review would focus on codifying enforceable conditions—setbacks, water‑use limits, noise controls, and decommissioning/responsibility clauses—while recognizing that the county cannot retroactively remove vested rights for previously approved projects.
Next steps: Staff will return with proposed ordinance language and comparative examples for board review within the 120‑day window. If the board later chooses to make permanent code changes, the board and staff said they will draft specific conditions and offer public hearings before any change becomes permanent.
