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DPA2026-00006: Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District (DCOZOD)
On March 3, 2026, the Board of County Supervisors approved with Res. No. 26-125 the initiation of a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) to revise the regulations governing data center uses within the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District (DCOZOD) and related sections. The proposed amendment includes updates to uses permitted by-right and by Special Use Permit, as well as revisions to the Overlay boundary based on the updated policy direction and regulatory framework established through the ZTA.
On May 19, 2026, the Board of County Supervisors directed Staff to pause work on the initiated ZTA, including postponement of the June 10, 2026, Planning Commission public hearing. On June 9, 2026, under Res. No. 26-374, the Board re-initiated updated and revised text reflecting these changes.
The ZTA restructures how data centers may be approved in Prince William County. The primary purpose of the amendment is to reduce and redefine the boundaries of the overlay district, limiting it to parcels that meet one or more County-defined eligibility pathways out of five. Through this approach, the County seeks to avoid the creation of widespread nonconforming uses while preventing any future expansion of the Overlay.
With the adoption of the revised boundary, the Overlay is closed to any future expansion; however, parcels that remain inside the Overlay and meet one or more of the eligibility pathways in Sec. 32 509.03(2) may continue to exercise existing by-right data center development permissions.
Outside the Overlay boundary, the approval framework shifts entirely. New data center proposals within the B-1 (General Business), O(L) (Office Low-Rise), O(H) (Office High-Rise), O(M) (Office Mid-Rise), O(F) (Office/Flex), M-1 (Heavy Industrial), M-2 (Light Industrial), and M/T (Industrial/Transportation) zoning districts—as well as designated office or industrial land bays within PBD and PMD districts—must now proceed through the Special Use Permit (SUP) process. This structural shift establishes the SUP as the primary pathway for new data center development outside the DCOZOD, redefining the intent, function, and regulatory weight of the Overlay boundary.
The Planning Office presented to DORAC the linked presentation. DORAC has yet to vote on the ZTA.
On July 15, 2026, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on, consider and discuss, and is anticipated to vote on a recommendation to the Board on the ZTA.
Questions or Comments?
- Email: [email protected]
- Submit the Planning Comment Form
Please note that under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, comments, including any personally identifiable information that is included in the comments, are subject to public inspection.
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