Public hearings on an modification to the zoning ordinance furthering information middle laws will happen earlier than the Planning Fee and the Board of Supervisors later this 12 months. Residents had been inspired to take part in digital conferences final week for questions and feedback on the proposed updates (https://bit.ly/3UOVYMy).
On March 19, the Board approved workers to draft an modification to the zoning ordinance. Their draft, which is on the market for the general public to view on-line, consists of new potential revisions in permissions, submission necessities, and use requirements, together with a noise research requirement.
In accordance with the Northern Virginia Expertise Council’s (NVTC) 2024 biennial report govt abstract on information facilities’ affect on state and native economies, information facilities accounted for 92% of recent investments introduced by the Virginia Financial Improvement Partnership. The gathered capital funding in Virginia by information facilities totals $203 billion, and the facilities make use of 12,140 employees.
In accordance with the NVTC report, Northern Virginia information facilities assist practically 60,000 jobs. Knowledge middle growth and investments additionally contribute to the development trade, accounting for 10% of jobs within the state and 22% in Northern Virginia.
In accordance with the report, information facilities in Virginia are taxed regionally however serve a world buyer base, bringing in tax income from different states. The facilities paid $640 million in state taxes and $1 billion to native governments within the Commonwealth.
On the digital assembly on Might 2, Deputy Zoning Administrator Carmen Bishop mentioned the demand for information facilities will proceed to develop as a result of they’re vital to fashionable life.
Presently, the zoning ordinance permits information facilities as much as 40,000 sq. toes by proper in C-3 and C-4 workplace districts and as much as 80,000 sq. toes within the I-2 and I-3 industrial districts. Bishop mentioned that bigger sizes in all 4 of these districts are allowed by way of repurposing present buildings or with particular exception approvals.
Knowledge facilities are additionally allowed in I-4, I-5, and I-6, with no most measurement restrict, and in sure deliberate districts if proven on the accredited growth plan.
Within the draft permissions, particular exception allowances for modifications of recent use requirements had been added for the I-4 by means of I-6 districts. The choice to take away the allowance for a knowledge middle in PRC districts, that are residential, neighborhood comfort facilities, village facilities, city facilities, and convention facilities, was additionally included.
There aren’t any accredited information facilities in PRC in Fairfax County presently. Different industrial makes use of allowed in PRC districts, corresponding to small-scale or craft beverage manufacturing, have a buyer focus.
The revision features a change requiring a screening wall for sure sorts of cooling techniques, corresponding to towers, that may not be totally enclosed, because the director of Land Improvement Companies determines.
The draft’s C-3, C-4, I-2, and I-3 don’t change most sizes. Nonetheless, it did comprise a change to the I-4 district, which might restrict its by-right measurement to 80,000 sq. toes. The draft textual content confirmed no most measurement for the I-5 and I-6 districts to encourage information facilities in heavy industrial districts.
A setback for constructing and gear from residential lot traces, together with a 200-foot setback with issues for setbacks as much as 500 toes, and a half-mile setback from Metro stations.
The draft consists of noise research submission necessities earlier than website plan approval, which applies to by-right growth.
Constructing design requirements for major entrance options, facade variations, and home windows and doorways embrace a by-right growth within the draft. A provision would apply with rezoning or particular exceptions the place architectural sketches and renderings will probably be reviewed.
Bishop mentioned even an I-5 typical district property might have proffers or a growth plan. If these don’t mirror permitting a knowledge middle, that property could must endure a PCA course of, a type of rezoning. All particular exceptions, rezoning and PCA processes will embrace a evaluate towards the excellent plan as effectively, she mentioned.
Stakeholders and residents attending the digital assembly requested how an 80,000-square-foot information middle would cope with the elevated electrical energy and water use and whether or not there could be laws relating to extra electrical energy and water over a sure degree.
“One factor I need to level out, the proposed requirement for the noise research, that’s going to assist no matter what number of megawatts the power is,” Bishop mentioned. “It doesn’t matter the way you measure the dimensions. That may be a performance-based normal, the noise ordinance. So by requiring these upfront research, then they’re going to have to indicate that they’ll and, actually do meet the noise ordinance. And I feel that could possibly be actually useful, once more, whatever the measurement.”
Bishop mentioned the ordinance has landscaping and screening necessities for all makes use of, together with inside car parking zone landscaping, peripheral car parking zone landscaping, and transitional screening. The ordinance doesn’t deal with basis plantings of bushes and vegetation. Nonetheless, she mentioned that car parking zone landscaping and screening are largely required to offer bushes for shade or evergreens for screening, in addition to minimal open area necessities for every district.
Public hearings are set to happen earlier than the Planning Fee on June 5 and earlier than the Board of Supervisors on July 16.
