Planning commission to refine data‑center ordinance; board considers technology overlay district

Planning staff reported progress on a draft data‑center ordinance and proposed a technology overlay district (TOD) as an additional regulatory tool to manage where and how high‑impact technology uses locate in Southampton County.

Reagan Prince (S19) told the board he had adapted language from localities that use overlay districts to add design controls — setbacks, landscaping, lighting, and restrictions on on‑site power generation until Dominion or other utilities authorize service — and said the TOD concept could be tailored so it applies only where the county wants technology uses. He said the draft limits the county to a relatively small share of land for data centers (a 1% cap was discussed as a starting point) and suggested an additional constraint requiring projects to be within a set distance of high‑voltage lines to avoid expensive new transmission runs.

Board members discussed tradeoffs between a TOD and a conventional data‑center ordinance and emphasized flexibility to preserve manufacturing or other industrial uses if a data‑center project does not materialize. Staff will continue revising the draft and return it to the planning commission and board for subsequent hearings and formal adoption steps.