Stafford County officials will revisit their newly adopted data center regulations tonight, considering an ordinance that would exempt five previously approved developments from the stricter rules passed in October after a marathon joint hearing that stretched past 2:30 a.m.
On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, supervisors will weigh Ordinance O25-29(R). This revision would formally grandfather any data center project that had a rezoning, conditional use permit, or site plan approved on or before Oct. 21, 2025. County planners say the exemption was widely understood to be part of the board’s intent during the October vote but was never written into the final ordinance.
The oversight means several projects—some widely debated by residents—could still be governed by older, less restrictive standards unless supervisors insert the grandfathering clause.
Five Projects Would Be Exempt
A staff report released ahead of tonight’s meeting identifies five projects that meet the cutoff date:
- Stafford Technology Campus
- Potomac Church Tech Center
- Centreport Gateway / Pemberton
- Vantage VA-4 (Melrod)
- Cranes Corner Data Center
If the ordinance is adopted, these projects could proceed using the county’s previous zoning rules—before October’s sweeping setback, noise, and environmental protections took effect.
October Vote Set New, Tougher Standards
On Oct. 21–22, the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission voted in a rare joint session to overhaul where and how data centers may be built in Stafford County. The meeting, which ran nearly six hours and drew dozens of speakers, resulted in one of the most significant land-use rewrites in years.
Under the new rules:
- Data centers must be at least 750 feet from homes and schools.
- Substations and other accessory uses must sit 300 feet from property lines.
- Required vegetative buffers grew from 50 feet to 200 feet.
- Developers must submit tree preservation plans.
- A 55-decibel noise cap applies to equipment.
- Projects should be within ½ mile of existing transmission lines.
- Energy impact assessments and new screening requirements are now mandatory.
Supervisors argued the standards were needed to protect residents as more data center proposals arrived.
“These standards don’t stop progress — they make sure progress respects the people who live here,” Board Chairman Deuntay Diggs said at the time.
Vice Chair Tinesha Allen said the changes aligned Stafford with “responsible localities that want economic growth, but not at the expense of community health and character.”
The Board approved the ordinance 4-2-1, with Allen and Supervisor Monica Gary opposed and Supervisor Pamela Yeung abstaining.
Why the Board Is Revisiting the Issue
Despite the dramatic scope of the October reforms, the ordinance never spelled out what many supervisors believed was understood—that existing projects would not be subject to the new restrictions.
“Upon approval there was a general understanding that the new ordinance would not be applicable to the data center projects that had already received approval,” the staff report states. “However, this was not made clear in the approved ordinance.”
To correct that omission, supervisors voted on Nov. 6 to initiate tonight’s joint hearing with the Planning Commission.
What Residents May Say
The grandfathering proposal is expected to draw significant attention.
During October’s hearing, many residents urged the county to impose even more substantial setbacks, with some calling for distances of 1,500 feet from homes to reduce noise from cooling equipment and diesel generators. Environmental groups, including Friends of the Rappahannock, pushed for wide buffers near the river and protections for groundwater.
Some of those same advocates are likely to return tonight to question whether grandfathering undermines the reforms they fought for.
Others have expressed frustration that major land-use decisions might again occur late in the year as the makeup of the Board changes. Two supervisors—Meg Bohmke and Monica Gary—are leaving office this month, and a new majority may take a different approach to data center policy.
What Happens Next
The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the county government center, 1300 Courthouse Road in Stafford, and is open to the public. It’ll also be steamed online.
If adopted, O25-29(R) would allow the five identified projects to continue advancing under the county’s previous rules—without having to meet the tougher setbacks, buffers, and noise limits established in October.
Future data center proposals, however, would remain subject to the stricter requirements.
County Administrator Bill Ashton has signaled the Board may revisit some elements of the policy as the industry evolves, including the possibility of “graduated setbacks” tailored to surrounding land uses.
Potomac Local News will follow tonight’s hearing and report updates as the Board takes action.
