Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Centers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Virginia Beach council moves to block large-scale data centers, asks planning staff to fast‑track zoning changes
Summary
After a staff briefing on submarine cable landing points, collocation sites, data centers and hyperscalers, council members directed planning staff to draft zoning amendments that would prohibit large data centers/hyperscalers in industrial districts and make collocation and submarine-cable landing sites conditional uses.
Planning staff briefed the council on different kinds of facilities that fall under the broad label “data center” and recommended updating the zoning ordinance to give the city more control over high‑intensity sites.
Peter Wallace (IT / infrastructure briefing) and Kathy (planning staff) walked council through four categories: submarine cable landing sites (meet‑me rooms), collocation facilities, conventional data centers and hyperscalers (large AI/cloud facilities). They emphasized scale differences—hyperscalers can require megawatts of power, significant acreage and enhanced cooling systems—whereas collocation and cable termination locations are smaller in footprint and often support telecommunications connectivity.
Councilmembers pressed staff on which categories an ordinance change should cover. Economic development staff clarified the city is not actively recruiting hyperscalers or large data centers and that the city’s strategic priorities are tourism, defense, advanced manufacturing and agriculture. Staff also noted that Virginia Beach already hosts collocation facilities tied to submarine‑cable landings (Global Links and Telus).
Multiple councilmembers said they wanted swift local action to limit high‑intensity data centers in the city’s industrial districts. The council’s direction was to ask staff to draft a zoning ordinance amendment making large data centers/hyperscalers non‑permitted uses in I1/I2 industrial districts while establishing a conditional use process for submarine‑cable landing sites and collocation facilities so those narrowly defined uses can be reviewed with conditions (setbacks, sound studies, generator testing limits, screening and safety plans).
Mayor announced council’s unanimous agreement to not entertain large‑scale data centers in Virginia Beach and asked planning staff and the planning commission to expedite a recommendation and ordinance to implement the policy direction.
