Fluvanna supervisors move to remove data centers as allowed use, pause new applications until Dec. 31

The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors voted on Aug. 19 to seek amendments to the county zoning code that would remove "data centers" as a use allowed by special use permit in the county's I-1 and I-2 industrial districts and to pause consideration of new data‑center special‑use applications until Dec. 31, 2026.

County Attorney Dan Whitten and staff explained the resolution would refer the proposed code changes to the Planning Commission for a public hearing and tasked the commission with exploring possible regulations for accessory data centers. After discussion, the Board voted 4-1 to adopt the resolution and the moratorium on new applications; the minutes record the outcome as a 4-1 roll call. The item drew multiple rounds of public comment earlier in the meeting, with residents raising concerns about energy use, community impacts, and local planning alignment with regional projects such as Valley Link.

Board members said they wanted the Planning Commission to study potential supplemental regulations rather than leave data centers as an open special‑use category. The resolution language recorded in the minutes states the Board's intention "to not consider any new applications for a special use permit for a data center until December 31, 2026, or at such earlier time as the Board of Supervisors may determine."

Next steps: the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed Zoning Code amendment and return a recommendation to the Board. Until then, newly filed data‑center SUP applications will not be considered by the Board.