NEWS: Data Center Zoning before York County Board

Planning move portends influx of new facilities across region

A representation of a typical data center. York County is considering proposed zoning changes to manage these types of facilities.

Communities across Virginia have grappled with the issue of building data centers within their jurisdictions. Advocates point to tax revenue and jobs created by the new ventures. Opponents decry the size and environmental impacts of the sprawling complexes. Governments worry about the challenges of providing utilities to the resource-hungry facilities and the cost to residents.

In order to get out in front of these issues, the York County Board of Supervisors will consider a proposed ordinance concerning future data centers in the County. The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 6PM inside York Hall, 301 Main Street in Yorktown, Virginia.

At the core of York County’s proposed zoning is a formal definition of a data center. In the new ordinance, a data center is described as "[an establishment engaging in the storage, management, processing, and/or t…