HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County has adopted a new approval process for companies looking to set up data centers. The Board of Supervisors voted to change regulations affecting one of Virginia's fastest-growing economic sectors—large warehouses that house servers and data storage equipment.
The new regulations create a stricter approval processes for proposed data centers. Now, companies must obtain a provisional use permit, which means there will be public input and final approval from the Board of Supervisors. Previously, only approval from the planning commission was required.
Rev. Roscoe Cooper from the Board of Supervisors expressed his support for economic development, emphasizing its importance for job creation. He also stressed the need to prioritize community well-being through transparency and inclusive decision-making.
Watch: Henrico County delays decision on data center regulations amid community debate
The board decided to delay the vote for a month after gathering extensive feedback from the community and companies at the May public hearing. They've directed their staff to ensure that these new, stricter approval processes apply countywide and not just at the White Oak Technology Park. Additionally, any existing data center projects in progress will now have to follow these new rules and won’t be grandfathered in, which some businesses had not expected.
Board Member Tyrone Nelson, acknowledged some confusion regarding the board's intentions. “I do apologize to any of you all in here; there was miscommunication between what the Board of Supervisors wanted and what was being portrayed,” he said.
Members of the public present at the meeting largely supported the board's effort to take additional time to revise regulations for such a critical future economic industry. Citizen Penny Paige remarked, “You are building in public input on every development. I like that you're doing this quickly because there’s a real problem right now. It feels like anybody who wants to build a data center anywhere they want can kind of do it.”
Andrew Wen, another citizen, expressed his view that the amendments added important restrictions before the vote. He said, “I had hoped that the board would vote last time, but I appreciate the amendments made for today.”
Businesses shared they used the extra month to gather community feedback and address concerns regarding future proposals. David Wagner, a local business owner, stated, “Given the opportunity, we will humbly work towards development that meets the ever-changing needs of our county while addressing the concerns of the citizens.”
These changes regarding data centers will take effect immediately. The board encourages anyone with questions to reach out to the county’s planning department.
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