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The Data Center Divide

Prince Edward County

Pro-Data Center Policies

Prince Edward County allows data centers without special-use approval in C-1 and I-1 districts. In a limited highway-corridor overlay, buildings over 50,000 square feet still need conditional-use approval, and other requirements apply.

current law · County measure
Amends the zoning ordinance to define data centers and allow them by right in the C-1 Commercial Zoning District, so proposed data-center developments proceed through administrative review without a new discretionary zoning approval, public hearing, or Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors vote.Prince Edward County Zoning Ordinance amendment (July 2020)

What this means

The measure makes data centers a by-right use in the C-1 and I-1 districts, so a separate special-use approval is not generally required (“Data center” listed as permitted; county FAQ). A limited highway-corridor overlay still requires a conditional use permit for buildings over 50,000 square feet, and projects must meet other applicable requirements, so the change is a substantial benefit rather than an unrestricted approval.

People behind it

  • Requested the zoning-ordinance amendment to define data centers and allow them by right in the C-1 General Commercial and I-1 General Industrial districts.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements9

  • Data centers must undergo administrative site-plan review and obtain applicable building permits, environmental permits, stormwater approvals, utility approvals, and other technical approvals before construction can begin.

  • Within the highway corridor overlay district, buildings larger than 50,000 square feet require a conditional use permit, creating an additional approval requirement for large data-center buildings.

  • Projects in the highway corridor overlay must comply with stricter access-management, parking, pedestrian-circulation, landscaping, building-design, utility, signage, and lighting standards.

  • Highway-corridor data-center projects must install utility lines underground and integrate or screen above-ground utility fixtures within the building envelope.

  • Highway-corridor projects must provide continuous accessible sidewalks, marked pedestrian routes, landscaped parking islands, and parking designed to reduce impervious surface and stormwater runoff.

  • The underlying C-1 and I-1 zoning standards impose minimum lot, frontage, setback, and building-height requirements. C-1 principal structures are limited to 65 feet, and I-1 principal structures are limited to 45 feet.

  • Any water withdrawals for the project are subject to Virginia regulations and permit conditions, including drought-management requirements.

  • Any sewer discharge must comply with the County Sewer Use Ordinance and Pretreatment Program and mirror applicable Town sewer requirements.

  • Under the project agreement, the proposed campus must use a closed-loop cooling system in which water remains in the loop and is not discharged or evaporated.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions10

  • Data centers are permitted by right in the C-1 General Commercial and I-1 General Industrial zoning districts, so a special-use permit is not required for the use itself.

  • The HIT Park was rezoned from A-2 Agricultural to C-1 Commercial, allowing data centers on the 280-acre site by right.

  • Future data-center proposals at the HIT Park are subject to administrative site-plan, building-permit, environmental, stormwater, utility, and technical review rather than additional public hearings or Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors votes.

  • The HIT Park provides access to existing high-voltage electric transmission infrastructure and nearby regional fiber networks, supporting data-center utility and connectivity needs.

  • The site is approximately 280 acres and agreements contemplate a multi-building campus with up to 300 megawatts of electric service, allowing substantial phased development.

  • The County secured grant funding for a transportation study and engineering plans addressing Persimmon Tree Fork Road and related access infrastructure serving the HIT Park.

  • The County and IDA have prepared proposed water and sewer infrastructure plans for the HIT Park, with potential water sources including the Town of Farmville system or the County's Sandy River Reservoir system.

  • AVAIO has committed to use closed-loop cooling, reducing the projected five-building campus water requirement from approximately 500,000–1,000,000 gallons per day to about 30,000 gallons per day.

  • Customer-specific electric infrastructure costs associated with the project are assigned to the data-center developers rather than anticipated to be funded by County taxpayers.

  • The HIT Park is subject to recorded protective covenants, conditions, and restrictions intended to support coordinated, compatible development and reduce impacts on surrounding properties.

Sources

Specific to Prince Edward County only.

pending · Unincorporated areas; the Town of Pamplin only if it adopts the county zoning ordinance
This county presentation records the current local framework: data centers are defined in the zoning ordinance and are permitted by right in the C-1 and I-1 districts, with no additional data-center-specific use standards identified at that time.Prince Edward County Data Center Regulatory Review and Standards Development presentation (September 29, 2026)
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements10

  • Data centers are permitted by right only in the C-1 Commercial and I-1 Industrial zoning districts; they are not authorized as a generally permitted use in other districts. permitted by right in C-1 and I-1

  • A data center must undergo administrative site-plan review and comply with the applicable district, landscaping and buffering, parking and access, and lighting standards before development can proceed. all uses must adhere to underlying district and design standards

  • Construction requires compliance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code, Statewide Fire Prevention Code, and applicable electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fuel-gas codes. Uniform Statewide Building Code

  • Site development is subject to erosion-and-sediment-control and stormwater requirements, including applicable county requirements, Virginia regulations, and the VPDES Construction General Permit. Stormwater Management

  • Projects affecting wetlands must obtain the required Virginia Water Protection Permit and, where applicable, an Army Corps of Engineers permit. Wetlands

  • Development requires utility approvals, and the final electrical service allocation is determined through Dominion Energy's interconnection and service-review process; construction cannot proceed without an adequate power allocation and other required decisions. subject to receiving an adequate power allocation

  • Any water withdrawals must comply with Virginia Department of Environmental Quality regulations and permit conditions, including drought-management requirements. subject to state regulations and permit conditions

  • Sewer discharges must comply with the County Sewer Use Ordinance and Pretreatment Program, including requirements that mirror the Town of Farmville's requirements. maintain discharge in accordance with requirements

  • The HIT Park is subject to recorded protective covenants and restrictions governing development quality, coordinated site planning, and compatibility with surrounding properties. recorded Protective Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions

  • Customer-specific electric infrastructure associated with the project is generally funded by the developer and utility rather than the County, creating a project cost obligation for required private infrastructure. these costs be born by the data center developers

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions7

  • Data centers are permitted by right in the C-1 Commercial and I-1 General Industrial zoning districts, rather than requiring a special-use permit. permitted by right in C-1 and I-1

  • Because data centers are already permitted at HIT Park, future proposals would use the County's administrative review process and would not receive additional public hearings or Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors votes. proceed through the administrative review process

  • The zoning framework protects projects with valid zoning approvals from having to comply with later-adopted requirements. Require approved projects to comply with new requirements if they have valid zoning approvals

  • The County's comprehensive-plan framework identifies data centers as a primary industrial land use and identifies HIT Park as an ideal location, with buildout potential of approximately 1.3 million square feet. An ideal location for a future data center

  • HIT Park provides a large development site with existing 230 kV and 115 kV transmission lines, and the County states that the site is near regional fiber networks, reducing the need to assemble a new site and basic connectivity infrastructure. major electric transmission infrastructure

  • The County secured grant funding for a transportation study and engineering plans for improvements to Persimmon Tree Fork Road and related access infrastructure serving HIT Park; actual improvements remain subject to the study, future funding, and development review. secured grant funding

  • AVAIO committed to use a closed-loop cooling system, which the County says would reduce estimated water needs for the five-building campus from 500,000–1,000,000 gallons per day to approximately 30,000 gallons per day, subject to the final project plans. committed to change from an evaporative system to a closed loop system

Sources

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