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Planning Commission favors conditional-use permits for utility-scale solar and data centers
Summary
At its Sept. 2 meeting the King and Queen County Planning Commission agreed that utility solar farms and computer data processing centers, if permitted, should be subject to conditional-use permits and directed staff to prepare a final draft response to the Board of Supervisors on Zoning Text Amendment ZA24-02.
The King and Queen County Planning Commission on Sept. 2 continued consideration of Zoning Text Amendment ZA24-02 (Article 4, Table 4.1), which covers energy generation facilities by natural resources (utility solar) and computer data processing centers. The commission said the matter had been discussed at prior meetings and that additional review was appropriate.
Commission members present said there was a consensus that, if the uses are allowed in the ordinance, they should be handled through a conditional-use permit process to allow more local control over site-specific impacts. Commissioners directed staff to prepare the final draft response for the Board of Supervisors and return the draft to the commission for review at the next meeting.
No formal vote on ZA24-02 was recorded at the Sept. 2 meeting; the action recorded was direction to staff to prepare and return a draft response addressing the Board of Supervisors’ questions. Chairman Hunter Richardson said the commission will review the final draft at its next regular meeting scheduled for Oct. 6, 2025, at 6 p.m.
Background: ZA24-02 (Article 4, Table 4.1) was returned to the commission by the Board of Supervisors for further review and discussion. Commissioners emphasized using the conditional-use permit process as a means to place conditions on development based on local impacts rather than allowing these uses by-right.
Next steps: Staff will draft the commission’s response to the Board of Supervisors and place the revised text on the commission’s Oct. 6 agenda for consideration.
