JAMES CITY — The James City County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday to further hammer out how it plans to deal with potential data centers.
In September, the county amended its zoning ordinance to restrict data centers to the county’s general industrial district, and to require a special use permit. Supervisors are now reviewing a policy that would spell out expectations for how and where potential centers could be built, including guidelines on design elements, noise impacts and water and electricity use.
Also known as data processing centers, data centers are facilities made to store, process and manage digital data. Typically warehouse buildings, the facilities hold computers, network equipment and more components focused on operating digital data. Alongside other Virginia localities, both James City and York counties have been looking at implementing policies for the facilities.
While proponents of the centers have touted benefits such as additional tax revenue and a low impact on traffic, negatives such as energy and water consumption as well as noise, air and waste pollution have been noted. The county’s policy is intended to help alleviate those negative impacts.
Among its guidance, the policy notes that data centers cannot be located within 400 feet of occupied dwellings or within 250 feet of “historic, cultural, recreational, special flood hazard areas, and environmentally sensitive areas and resources.” It also requires a sound study — there have been complaints in other jurisdictions about buzzing or humming sounds that reportedly come from the centers.
At least one local company — BASF Corp., which owns the site of the former chemical manufacturing facility that has been vacant in the Grove area for decades — has floated the idea of locating a data center in James City County.
Supervisor Michael Hipple suggested — and other board members agreed — that supervisors take a trip to see existing data centers in order to learn more about them and to help make informed decisions on possible centers in the future.
The policy will be brought back to supervisors at their Dec. 9 meeting for consideration and possible approval.
Supervisors also on Tuesday heard the latest update to the proposed $189.5 million government center. Assistant County Administrator Brad Rinehimer said staff is working to reduce the cost of the center’s $25 million library addition along with considering the addition of solar panels to the facility’s roof. Through a power sharing agreement with Dominion, the county could save about $500,000 in energy costs over 25 years, he said.
A small groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for November when crews start site work for the center, Rinehimer said. The project will still require another vote by the supervisors, which will likely be around March, to move forward with construction on the center and the library.
James W. Robinson, 757-799-0621, james.robinson@virginiamedia.com