Citizens and supervisors press board for clear rules as data-center debate continues

Citizen speakers and supervisors used Citizen's Time and Supervisor Comment to press the Board on whether and how to permit data centers in Smyth County. Several public commenters said planning and ordinance meetings had limited opportunities for citizen input and urged the board to protect farmland and water resources. The joint ordinance committee reported a series of public meetings, a visit to Mecklenburg County, and a Loudoun County visit to study other local ordinances.

"I want to talk about zoning for agriculture to allow the data center in," Charles Hayden said during Citizen's Time as he described being prevented from speaking at a prior joint ordinance/planning meeting. Other commenters and supervisors echoed concerns about environmental impacts, non-disclosure agreements, and the need to keep certain types of development out of rural/agricultural zones.

Several supervisors who traveled to Mecklenburg and Loudoun described what they learned in site visits: some counties accepted large investments (one supervisor cited a private contribution to double water capacity), and others experienced problems when regulation lagged. One supervisor summarized the economic case: "If a data center generated $10,000,000 a year, that's approximately $340 of new county revenue per resident every year." At the same time he and others acknowledged possible negative outcomes and said strict, specific ordinance language — not only height limits but limits on enclosed acreage and rooftop mechanicals — will be necessary to avoid unintended workarounds.

The joint ordinance committee will reconvene to focus on outstanding ordinance language and suggested regulatory details. The Board did not adopt final ordinance language at this meeting; members emphasized further study, more detailed draft amendments and continuation of public outreach before any final vote.