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Residents urge board to remove 'preferred corridors' and oppose technology-overlay/data-center zoning
Summary
Eighteen public commenters told the board to abandon a proposed 'preferred corridors' amendment to the comprehensive plan and to reject a technology‑overlay district that residents say would enable by‑right data centers near Arvonia and on the James River; speakers raised environmental, water-supply and equity concerns and asked for ethics/disclosure measures for officials.
A sustained public comment period drew broad opposition to two related planning items: a "preferred corridors" amendment to Comprehensive Plan Policy Area 10 and a proposed technology overlay district that speakers said would allow by‑right data centers in parts of the county.
Jeff Kamen (speaker 5) opened the public comment block asking the board to "please do two things": engage with planning commissioners and not adopt preferred corridors. Kamen said the amendment would "rank corridors across this county as preferred places for new transmission lines" and argued the public had opposed it at planning commission meetings.
Multiple residents elaborated on environmental and community impacts. Padova (speaker 20) said the amendment "seems to contradict" the plan's stated priority to preserve rural character and conservation easements. Amy Crawford (speaker 19) and others raised concerns about a technology overlay that planning commissioners proposed for Arvonia, saying that by-right allowances for data centers would circumvent public oversight and that some planning-commission members had personal land interests in the area raised by commenters.
Speakers urged specific actions: remove the preferred‑corridors language; prohibit data centers by zoning; require conflict‑of‑interest disclosures and recusals for officials who would financially benefit; and form citizen committees to research impacts. One commenter cited a recent State Corporation Commission ruling requiring data centers to fund transmission facilities that serve them and suggested the ruling could help local defenses.
The board did not take immediate legislative action during public comment; several supervisors acknowledged hearing concerns and said items would be considered through the planning and ordinance processes.
