Residents urge Charles City to require case‑by‑case review for data centers including Point One proposal

Multiple residents urged the Charles City County Board to remove data centers as a permitted (by‑right) use in M1 and M2 zoning so projects would be subject to site‑specific county review and public input.

"The key issue was what ‘permitted use’ means—projects could proceed by right without Planning Commission hearings, Board discussion, or public input," said Pat Davis, a District One resident, who cited the Pointe One project as an example that includes its own natural‑gas power plant and could place new demands on electricity, water, and shared groundwater resources.

Brandi Mareno, speaking for a group, said by‑right approval can 'remove community protections' and argued data centers' high energy and water use, backup generators, and potential noise warrant conditional use review or special exceptions rather than automatic approval. Both speakers clarified they were not opposed to data centers as a concept but urged the Board to retain local oversight and the ability to impose conditions and mitigate impacts.

County Administrator Keith C. Rogers noted the Point One project is in its second round of site‑plan review and that public application materials are available at the Community Development office for inspection. Vice‑Chairman Ryan Patterson requested monthly updates on Point One and asked staff to report on outstanding items including tangible personal property taxes, real‑estate tax payments, building permit fees, and third‑party plan review policy.