Fairfax County passes measure to regulate where data centers can be built

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. ( DC News Now ) — Virgina’s largest county passed new restrictions for data centers, the massive ‘warehouses’ that hold the servers that power much of what we do online.

Where the centers are built has been controversial in many parts of Northern Virginia, including Loudoun and Prince William Counties.

While Fairfax County has about 3 million square feet of data centers, Loudoun County has more than 30 million.

The new regulations, which were passed after a roughly four-hour-long public hearing, came after people testified both their concerns and hopes for data centers.

While some shared worries about how much power they use, the noise they emit, and their proximity to neighborhoods, others emphasized how much money they bring in and the impact it can have on the county’s tax base.

“We want to put in place protections for data centers in Fairfax County and not repeat the challenges that have been faced in neighboring Prince William and Loudoun counties,” Chair Jeff McKay said before the 8-to-2 vote.

After the vote, McKay said the county took a “quantum leap forward” emphasizing how it wants data centers “in the right place.”

Donna Jacobson, of the Lafayette Village Community Association, said she supports the measures though she wishes they were greater.

Among the changes: data centers would have to be at least 200 feet away from residential areas, and at least a mile away from a Metro station. Plus, the proposals will have to go through required noise studies.

“I think we need data centers in Fairfax County, but I think it’s a good idea to have them regulated,” Jacobson said.

James Parmelee, who opposed the policy, said he fears it could make it less appealing for data centers to come to Fairfax County. He views it as important they come to help ease the tax burden on residents.

“Hopefully, the board will use additional taxes from data centers to lower property taxes, to not impose a meals tax, which is something they’re looking at,” he said.

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