Principal structures must be set back at least 200 feet from a property line abutting residentially used or zoned property or a public park. 200 ft.

A vegetated buffer is required along property lines abutting residential property or a public park: 50 feet wide, increasing to 100 feet if the project clears at least 70% of existing open space or vegetated area. The buffer generally requires a 6-foot berm and specified plantings, but equivalent screening using natural topography, existing vegetation, or vegetation outside a 6-foot fence may be substituted with Planning Director approval in consultation with the City Arborist. buffer requirements

Rezoning and special use permit applications require a public community meeting at least 30 days before the Planning Commission public hearing. The applicant must notify adjacent owners and the Zoning Administrator and advertise the meeting 14 to 21 days in advance, and submit a summary of public input. community meeting requirements

Applicants for a new data center, and applicants seeking an expansion or modification adding at least 100 megawatts, must submit a site assessment covering specified topics, including nearby residential and school sound profiles, substations and transmission voltage, and potential impacts on water, agricultural resources, parks, historic sites, and forestland. site assessment requirement

For a data center abutting residentially used or zoned property or a public park, a Commonwealth-licensed professional engineer must prepare a pre-construction noise study and a post-construction study, submitted 1 to 12 months after the first Certificate of Occupancy. If either study shows noise above City Code limits at the boundary, mitigation is required. noise study and mitigation requirements

Ground-mounted and roof-mounted mechanical equipment must use sound mitigation, including sound-muffling materials. mechanical equipment noise mitigation

If water-based cooling is used, the facility must use a closed-loop system; the Director of Public Works may waive or amend this requirement. closed-loop cooling requirement

Fencing is allowed, but within 35 feet of a public street it cannot include barbed wire or similar visible intrusion-deterrence devices. fencing restriction

For the proposed data center on the City-owned 2233 Halifax Road property, closing under the option agreement is conditional on City Council formally approving a Development Agreement addressing matters including noise emissions, buffer zones, and water use; approval is at Council’s sole discretion. Development Agreement condition

The option agreement also makes closing conditional on rezoning the 2233 Halifax Road property from Agricultural to M-1. rezoning condition

Data centers are proposed as by-right uses in the M-1 Light Industrial and M-2 Heavy Industrial districts, subject to the applicable standards. By-right in both districts

An applicant may seek a Special Use Permit for a data center that cannot meet the listed development standards, allowing case-by-case review. Request a Special Use Permit

For an existing data center, the specified site assessment is required for an expansion or modification that adds 100 megawatts or more; that assessment requirement does not apply to smaller expansions. Exceeds an additional 100 megawatts

The City proposed granting TWG Petersburg an exclusive option to buy about 179 acres at 2233 Halifax Road for a data center or similar development, at a stated purchase price of $863,400. Closing is conditional on Council approving a Development Agreement and the property being rezoned from Agricultural to M-1. Exclusive option to purchase the Property