Fairfax County, Virginia, Posts Draft Zoning Ordinance Amendments for Data Centers

Fairfax County, Virginia, recently released draft zoning ordinance text amendments to provide new regulations for data centers within the county. A link to the draft zoning ordinance amendments may be found here. The draft amendments include various options, but in most cases make data centers a special exception use in all zoning districts. Additionally, the county’s draft amendments focus on noise control, architectural guidelines, aesthetics, screening and increased setbacks. Public hearings have been scheduled, with a June 5, 2024, Planning Commission public hearing and subsequent Board of Supervisors public hearing on July 16, 2024. At this time, it is not anticipated that pending zoning or site plan amendments will be grandfathered under the existing data center zoning requirements. Learn more about the data center industry capabilities of McGuireWoods LLP and McGuireWoods Consulting.