Data centers are permitted by right only inside the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, in the M-1, M-2, and O(L)/O(M)/O(H) districts. Anywhere outside the overlay, a data center needs a Special Use Permit approved by the Board of County Supervisors.
Under the county Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 32), data centers are a by-right use inside the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District (Part 509) in the M-1 (Sec. 32-403.11), M-2 (Sec. 32-403.21), O(L), O(M), and O(H) districts. Outside the overlay, those same districts allow data centers only with a Special Use Permit and Board of County Supervisors approval. Where a site abuts residential zoning, ground-mounted mechanical equipment must sit at least 100 feet from the property line, and a Type C buffer with a six-foot earthen berm must screen it. Building height reaches up to 100 feet by rezoning. The rules trace to the fight over the Prince William Digital Gateway near the Manassas battlefield.
Building a data center outside the overlay without a Special Use Permit, or without the required buffers and setbacks, is a zoning violation; the county can deny site plans, withhold occupancy, and pursue civil penalties.
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