UPDATED 8/5/24
Join us on September 10 @ 4:30pm: testify for stronger protections!
The Data Center ZOA public hearing was held on July 16 and the Board deferred their decision until July 30. On the morning of July 30 however, it was reported that, due to a clerical error regarding a change in state law that went into effect on July 1, the advertising of both the July 16 and July 30 public hearings did not meet the new requirements, and both must be held again.
The new Data Center ZOA public hearing is scheduled for September 10 @ 4:30pm at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22035). Join me – let’s be sure our Board of Supervisors knows how we feel. Let me know you’re joining us: https://forms.gle/DuPMK86Xn9Q9GyjSA
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There are more data centers in Northern Virginia than anywhere else in the world.
The lure of revenue from data centers for our locales is significant, but so are data centers’ environmental impacts, both in the short- and long-term.
Fairfax County’s data center regulations are open for public comment right now (extended through September 10).
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors are seeking resident feedback on a Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOA) with their stated goal of this process to “strengthen the current provisions for data centers”. This is our opportunity to ensure Fairfax County better meets our climate goals, ensure we have clean water, and reflect our sustainable land use needs, and all through the lens of equitable development and our One Fairfax policy.
The Planning Commission offered good recommendations
The issue of data center regulations was first considered at a public hearing at the Planning Commission. On June 5, I testified, along with over 50 others, to Fairfax County’s Planning Commission (PC) at their public hearing. Based on feedback, the PC passed along recommendations for stronger protections to our Board of Supervisors to consider at their public hearing.
The comment period is still open:
We need your voice today!
What happened:
- At a July 16 ZOA public hearing, the Board heard testimony from 65 people over the course of more than 4 hours.
- The Board deferred their decision to July 30, but then because of a clerical issue in advertising the hearings, the Board must properly advertise and re-hold the hearing, currently scheduled for 4:30pm on September 10.
- Unfortunately, the Board is also pursuing language which could negate the Planning Commission’s recommendation that all data centers in-process (but not yet approved) adhere to new, stronger ZOA standards.
- On September 10, the Board will also be considering the opposite language to instead allow data centers that are already in-process to be grandfather under the old, weaker rules. That is a disastrous decision.
Why it matters
- The Planning Commission offered several solid recommendations that would protect our communities from some of the preventable environmental impacts of data centers.
- However, it is solely up to the Board’s discretion to further strengthen or weaken the rules for data centers.
- That’s why it is so important for you to speak up in support of the Planning Commission’s recommendations and the additional safeguards listed below.
Watch some of the testimony from July 16
To hear some inspiring speakers, you can stream the recording of the Board’s ZOA public hearing. Tune in to hear Nature Forward’s testimony and that of several of our partners and fellow advocates:
- Renee Grebe, Nature Forward (3:36:50)
- Whitney Redding, Friends of Holmes Run (3:41:48)
- Cynthia Shang, Save Pleasant Valley (4:18:32)
- Ann Bennett, Sierra Club (5:27:10)
- Tyler Ray, Save Bren Mar (5:38:29)
- Jehanne Arslan (6:37:28)
Write a quick letter
Your email doesn’t need to be long: even a short letter lets our decision makers know you want stronger protections! We’ve listed our asks and a form below that you can use to submit written comments.
Our main asks to help with your letter or testimony
Thank you to our partners at the Sierra Club for leading the initiative for this this 14-organization sign-on comment letter that you can use as inspiration for your own personal comments. The highlights of our asks are:
- Support the Planning Commission’s recommendations
- Require data centers be located at least 1-mile distance from a metro station entrance in areas where the county should support walkable communities, housing and jobs near transit, not data centers. Data centers have few on-site employees so having them within walking distance of transit undermines the county’s smart growth and transportation goals to populate residential, jobs, and mixed-use residential near transit.
- Require buildings and polluting equipment (e.g. diesel generators, HVAC) to be setback at least 500 feet from adjacent residences. Keeping this equipment located away from (not adjacent to) residential, public and commercial uses, will help reduce air, noise and aesthetic impacts to adjacent properties. We must strengthen protections for all residents, especially the most vulnerable according to the One Fairfax Policy. A disappointing example of lack of protections played out as residents of the Meadows of Chantilly Mobile Home community in the Sully district just saw a by-right data center get approved on 7/9/24, just 50 feet from their community.
- Preserve the provision that clearly states that new rules in the ZOA would apply to submitted, but not yet approved, data center site applications. This will ensure that further discussions can be had with developers for proposals that do not meet the above criteria.

- Ideally, require all data center proposed developments be subject to Special Exception review, as the Town of Leesburg recently did, as Fauquier County is doing for data centers over 50,000 square feet, and as Loudoun is pursuing. Doing so allows the county the flexibility it needs to address site-specific concerns and to negotiate development conditions that would improve a proposed site plan.
- Make a commitment to quickly take up additional environmental policies for data centers.
The Zoning Ordinance Amendment could be a good start, but there is more work to be done.
Temperatures this June and July in Fairfax County exceeded 100 degrees on multiple days. This not only imperils human health of all residents, especially those most vulnerable under the One Fairfax policy, but it also pressures the grid to cool data center equipment in an increasingly hot region.