Chesterfield Halts Future Data Center Development

TL;DR: Chesterfield County has stopped automatically approving new data centers, requiring permits instead and signaling the end of the sector's growth in the county.

Chesterfield County enacted a policy change effective January 1 that ended automatic approval for data center development. New projects now require a conditional use permit, a significant hurdle compared to prior approval by right. The Board of Supervisors has indicated it would likely reject any future data center proposals, making the county's current slate the final generation of such industrial development for the foreseeable future.

Why it matters: The policy caps expansion of an industrial sector that has significantly reshaped parts of Chesterfield's landscape and contributed substantially to the county's tax base and economic profile.

Read the source at Virginia Business →