Albemarle County, VA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)

Sec. 65 draws a sharp line between accessory data centers and standalone facilities. A data center only qualifies as an accessory use, exempt from the section's siting standards, if it sits on the same site as a permitted primary use, is operated by that site's own user for its own data, and its footprint together with its support systems stays under 25 percent of the primary use's gross floor area; that accessory-use test cannot be waived by special exception under subsection (E). Any data center that does not meet that test is a standalone use subject to Sec.

65(B) and (C) in full: it must be served by public water and public sewer, a requirement that likewise cannot be waived or modified by special exception, and any water-based cooling must run on a closed loop or recycled system. Setbacks are substantial and apply to the building itself along with every piece of associated equipment, including generators, HVAC units, and battery backup: at least 200 feet from every lot line on the site, and at least 500 feet from the boundary of the Rural Areas zoning district, which covers most of the county's unincorporated land outside its designated development areas. Generator operations under subsection (D) layer additional noise and scheduling limits on top of these siting standards.