After months of discussion, the Town of Orange has a new data center definition in its zoning ordinance.
Last week, town council members voted 2-1 to approve a new data center definition. The definition, drafted over multiple planning commission meetings, was recommended for approval to the council in February. It defines a data center as “a use involving a building/premise in which the majority of the use is occupied by computers and/or telecommunications and related equipment, including supporting equipment and other associated components related to digital data operations, where information is processed, transferred and/or stored.”
Orange Director of Community Development Debbie Sturm said the definition was created to be broad and replaces the former definition which was “inconsistent with current data center function and purpose.”
Only two people spoke during a public hearing on the matter, which was limited to those living within the town,a choice mayor Harrison Cluff said was “in the interest of efficiency.”
Hillary Hicks praised the definition, saying it appears to be broad enough. Don McCown, representing the Piedmont Environmental Council, encouraged adding something to the definition distinguishing that power generation is a separate use and not part of a data center.
Council member Jason Cashell agreed. He said he favored a robust definition and advocated for adding McCown’s suggestion as well as referring to data centers in the plural, adding an “s” when possible. He said that data centers are now targeting south and central Virginia.
“If you do any kind of research, you understand the importance of a definition when trying to stay ahead of all the things that are changing as far as data centers,” Cashell said.
Cluff agreed with making “building” and “premise” plural. Town attorney Catherine Lea suggested adding a “(s)” to both words. She reiterated earlier discussions that the definition should be very broad with minimum specifics.
“This definition is really the very beginning step,” Lea said. “The details are all important for the ordinance.”
Cashell said he’d like to see something about power generation, backup power and cooling systems mentioned in the definition.
“Don’t legislate from your definition,” Sturm said. “It’s about the use, describing what the use is and the ordinance language that comes after that regulates that use as defined.”
She said the definition presented was broad enough and it wasn’t necessary to articulate certain types of equipment.
“You want to legislate in your zoning ordinance how a data center is used,” she said. “The definition should stand on its own.”
Council member Donna Waugh Robinson made a motion to approve the definition, including the parenthetical s for building and premise. It was seconded by Cashell and approved 2-1 with Cashell dissenting. Council members Delmer Seal and Jeff Crane were absent.
