York County, VA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Zoning Administrator, Dept. of Planning and Development Services
- Setback, non-residential lines
- 100 feet
- Setback, residential lines
- 500 feet
- Required buffer
- 50-foot evergreen Type 50 Transitional Buffer
- Max height
- 75 feet unless Board approves more
- Noise limit
- 55 dBA or 65 dBC at property line
- Generator testing window
- Mon-Fri, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, one unit
Summary
In York County, Virginia, data centers need a special use permit from the Board of Supervisors and must meet siting standards under Sec. 24.1-489.1: buildings sit back 100 feet from non-residential lines and 500 feet from residential property lines, sit behind a 50-foot evergreen buffer, and cap out at 75 feet unless the Board approves more height.
Any special use permit application submitted under the provisions of this section shall be accompanied by the following items which, in addition to the standards set forth below, shall be considered by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors: ... (g)Data center structures and their ancillary equipment must be set back 100 feet from any non-residential zoned property lines and 500 feet from residential property lines.(h)All data center developments shall be surrounded by a buffer of at least fifty feet (50') in width, which shall be landscaped with evenly distributed evergreen vegetation, in accordance with the provisions of Article II, Division 4 of this chapter, to meet the Type 50 Transitional Buffer standards.
Full Breakdown
York County's Board of Supervisors treats data centers as a special use permit category under Sec. 24.1-489.1 of the zoning ordinance, administered by the Department of Planning and Development Services. An applicant must submit a letter from the electric utility confirming substation and transmission capacity at each project phase and at full build-out, and, if the facility uses water cooling, a letter from the public water purveyor confirming supply for full operating capacity; above-ground liquefied petroleum gas storage is barred outright. Every data center must tie into public water, since wells are prohibited as a supply source, and must employ conservation methods such as rainwater harvesting, subject to county approval.
On siting itself, structures and their ancillary equipment must sit back 100 feet from any non-residential property line and 500 feet from any residential property line, and the whole development needs a 50-foot evergreen buffer meeting the county's Type 50 Transitional Buffer standard. Building height tops out at 75 feet unless the Board grants more. Noise is capped at 55 A-weighted decibels or 65 C-weighted decibels at the property line, whichever is greater, backed by a pre- and post-development sound study, and on-site generator testing is confined to one unit at a time, Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Fire lane access, a 33-foot drive-aisle turning radius, and an evacuation plan approved by the Department of Fire and Life Safety round out the operational conditions. Owners must recertify electricity and water use every five years, and if a facility sits idle for 30 days straight, the Zoning Administrator can ultimately order the equipment dismantled and removed within 180 days.
Violations & Fines
Operating a data center in York County without an approved special use permit, or beyond the water, noise, or setback conditions the Board of Supervisors attaches, is a zoning violation the Zoning Administrator enforces. Failing to recertify electricity and water use every five years, or ignoring a Zoning Administrator's order to dismantle idle equipment within 180 days, exposes the owner or lessee to a mandatory removal order the county can carry out at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does York County require a special permit for a data center?
How far must a data center sit from homes in York County?
What happens if a York County data center sits idle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
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