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Resident urges tighter limits on data centers during Land Use Ordinance review
Summary
During Citizens’ Time, resident Andy Kegley urged the Commission to restrict data centers from commercial zones, warned that allowing them in Progress Park could create precedent for future approvals, and asked how a proposed Rogg property would be handled on the draft zoning map.
A Wythe County resident told the Planning Commission on July 6 that the draft Land Use Ordinance should treat data centers with greater caution and said allowing them broadly could create unwelcome precedent.
During Citizens’ Time, Andy Kegley said he appreciated the Commission’s work and YouTube posting but urged additional restrictions: "I had asked that in the review that I would make a distinction between industrial and commercial... I was asking that they be taken out of commercial." Kegley said he understands the draft would require a special-use permit in industrial zones but argued that allowing data centers in more plentiful commercial zones could expose more residents. He added a concern about precedence: if a data center is later approved in Progress Park, a future board might point to that approval when considering other proposals.
Kegley also asked about the Rogg property near the Grahams Forge/Topaz Drive exit, noting it is currently drafted as agriculture but has an outside proposal for a data center; he asked how the draft map and grandfathering would be handled. Deputy County Administrator Matthew Hankins responded that the current direction is to include a special-use requirement in both industrial and commercial zones and said staff will continue refining the draft map.
Kegley’s remarks were a request for policy-level clarification rather than a formal motion; the Commission later scheduled further joint work sessions and additional public input meetings as part of the Land Use Ordinance process.
