James City County approved a policy to limit data centers to a specific zoning area that could focus them on the site of the old BASF factory site in the Grove Community.
Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a definition of data centers and restricting them to M-2 general industrial zoning areas with a special use permit. County staff said that definition would restrict most of the potential sites to the southern end of the county.
Stonehouse Supervisor Barbara Null voted against the change.
The change would still require a special use permit to set up a data center in an M-2 district. Data centers have generated controversy in other Virginia localities because of the noise, water and electrical consumption they generate.
Supervisor John McGlennon, whose district includes Grove, raised the concern that the area would be the sole site considered for data centers.
“Because I represent the southern end of the county , my ears went up,” when the planning commis…