Data centers proposed on Chesapeake’s M-1 and M-2 industrial land—some of it directly adjacent to residential zoning—may soon require a Conditional Use Permit before construction can begin, giving neighbors and elected officials a formal say in the process.
City staff presented the proposal to City Council at an April work session, recommending that data centers in M-1, M-2, and the Fentress Overlay no longer be approved automatically. The presentation also called for developing a City Council policy—similar to the city’s existing Solar Energy Policy—that would set baseline standards and requirements for all data center projects.
Right now, data centers can be built by right in a range of zones across Chesapeake, including business, office, and industrial districts, as well as the South Norfolk Business Overlay and the Great Bridge Historic Gateway Overlay. The Conditional Use Permit process would add a public review step specifically in the industrial and Fentress Overlay zones where residential neighborhoods can sit nearby.
What city staff’s proposal would actually require
Under the standards outlined in the presentation, any data center seeking a Conditional Use Permit in those zones would face several requirements…