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Regbase

The Data Center Divide

Brunswick County

Mixed Data Center Policies

Brunswick County sets a special personal-property tax rate for data centers and requires a Conditional Use Permit for them in the B-1 business district, adding review and possible delay only in that district.

current law · County measure
Establishes a separate Brunswick County personal-property tax class for computer equipment and peripherals used in a data center, with a local tax rate of $0.40 per $100 of assessed value.Brunswick County Ordinance — Data Center Computer Equipment Personal-Property Tax Rate (2018)

What this means

The measure sets a special personal-property tax rate of 40 cents per $100 of assessed value, which could lower data centers’ operating costs. It adds no data-center-specific building or operating restrictions, though the source does not state how this rate compares with the county’s ordinary rate.

People behind it

  • Adopted the ordinances and resolutions, authorized related actions, and conducted the public hearings.

  • Moved or seconded several measures, including the Mid-Atlantic Broadband tax-exemption ordinance, the short-term-rental referral, the Lake Gaston cleanup resolution, and the real-property purchase resolution.

  • Moved or seconded several measures, including the local vehicle-license ordinance, the Mid-Atlantic Broadband tax-exemption ordinance, the real-property purchase resolution, and the Housing Rehab Program Design.

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  • Moved or seconded the local vehicle-license ordinance, the data-center tax ordinance, and the addition of Doctor Purdy Road to the Secondary Six-Year Plan.

  • Moved or seconded the data-center tax ordinance, the subdivision-ordinance amendment, and the Lake Gaston cleanup resolution.

  • Requested exemption from Brunswick County real-estate and personal-property taxes.

  • Offered to sell its one-half interest in the former St. Paul's College Student Center property to the County.

  • Sponsored the Take Pride in Lake Gaston Clean-Up Day 2018 initiative.

  • Recommended adding Route 659, Doctor Purdy Road, to the Secondary Six-Year Plan and submitted related transportation proposals.

  • Conducted public hearings and unanimously recommended approval of the subdivision and short-term-rental ordinance amendments.

  • Drafted and recommended the subdivision-ordinance penalty amendments and was directed to help clarify the short-term-rental definition.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements1

  • Computer equipment and peripherals used in a data center are subject to a separate local personal-property tax rate of $0.40 per $100 of assessed value, creating an added operating cost. The ordinance applies to facilities whose primary services are storing, managing, and processing digital data and that include equipment managing at least one megawatt of electrical power and cooling capacity.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions1

  • Computer equipment and peripherals used in a data center are placed in a separate personal-property-tax class, with a local tax rate of $0.40 per $100 of assessed value. The provision applies only to qualifying equipment used in a data center as defined by the ordinance.

Sources

current law · County measure: Properties in the County’s B-1 and I-1 zoning districts
Brunswick County Ordinance Amendment Case #26-037 is a proposed amendment to Article 9, Business District B-1, Subsection 9-1-40, Data Centers.Brunswick County Ordinance Amendment Case 26-037 — Business District Data Centers

What this means

The amendment would change data centers in the B-1 business district from allowed by right to requiring a Conditional Use Permit, adding a review step that can bring delay and uncertainty (currently permitted by right). The impact is meaningful but limited to that zoning district; it is not a countywide ban.

People behind it

  • Applicant seeking Conditional Use Permit Case #26-027 for a wedding and event venue.

  • Applicant and owner seeking to amend Conditional Use Permit Case #25-036 to operate the existing pool as a public community pool.

  • Requested the data-center Conditional Use Permit amendment in the B-1 district and initiated consideration of zoning amendments concerning data centers and private power generation.

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  • Initiated consideration of the Article 23 solar and battery-storage amendments and requested a public hearing on the amendments concerning zoning definitions and energy-generation facilities.

  • Applicant and owner seeking to amend Conditional Use Permit Case #16-024 for expanded parking and boat storage.

  • Applicant and owner seeking to amend Conditional Use Permit Case #16-024 for expanded parking and boat storage.

  • Applicant seeking rezoning from Agricultural (A-1) to Industrial (I-1) to pursue a conditional use permit for data centers.

  • Applicant and owner seeking rezoning from Residential, Limited (R-1) to Residential, General (R-2) for short-term rental use.

  • Applicant seeking an ordinance amendment to allow a storage warehouse with corporate office in the I-1 district.

  • Presented the proposed South-Central Transportation Authority concept and supplied a resolution for the Board to consider.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements3

  • In the Business (B-1) district, data centers must obtain a Conditional Use Permit; they were previously permitted by right. The Board approved this amendment on October 21, 2026.

  • In the Industrial (I-1) district, data centers must obtain a Conditional Use Permit. An exception applies to qualifying property that, on the ordinance’s adoption date, is within 1.5 miles of the Dominion Energy Power Plant boundary on parcel 55-64D and is subject to a pending data-center sale contract involving parcels 55-64 and 55-65.

  • A proposed amendment would treat energy generation used to power a data center during regular operations as a separate use—not part of or accessory to the data center—and require a separate Conditional Use Permit in both B-1 and I-1 districts. The proposed definition includes temporary backup generators as part of the data-center use; this amendment was scheduled for further public hearings, not shown as adopted.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions2

  • The adopted Industrial (I-1) data-center CUP requirement exempts qualifying properties within 1.5 miles of the Dominion Energy Power Plant that are subject to a pending data-center sale contract involving Tax Map parcels 55-64 and 55-65. Those uses are treated as lawful, not nonconforming, and do not need a CUP, subject to zoning standards in effect at site-plan approval. The ordinance exemption

  • A proposed definition would expressly include certain support facilities—such as air handlers, temporary backup generators, water-cooling and storage facilities, and utility substations—within the data-center use. It excludes energy generation intended to supply the center during regular operations, which would be treated as a separate use. The proposed data-center definition

Sources

current law · County measure: Industrial (I-1) and Business (B-1) Zoning Districts
Brunswick County Ordinance Amendment Case 26-023 changes data centers in the Industrial (I-1) district from by-right use to conditional-use review.Brunswick County Ordinance Amendment Case 26-023 — Industrial District Data Centers

People behind it

  • Requested the amendment to require data centers in the Industrial District to obtain a Conditional Use Permit.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements2

  • Industrial (I-1) data centers, previously permitted by right, must obtain approval through a Conditional Use Permit. The Board approved this amendment. “obtain approval through a Conditional Use Permit”

  • A proposed amendment would also require a Conditional Use Permit for data centers in the Business (B-1) District, where they are currently allowed by right. The source says this was proposed for a later public hearing, not that it had been adopted. “requiring Data Centers to obtain a Conditional Use Permit”

Sources

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