Town Council Begins Process for Data Center Prohibition

In a unanimous vote, shortly after midnight on June 23, following a motion crafted by Vice-Mayor Amber Veitenthal, the Town Council denied a text amendment that would define data centers and allow them by special-use permit in the I-2 industrial zone with restrictive ordinance. The motion also instructed staff and the Town Planning Commission to act within 60 days, preparing language to prohibit data centers in every Front Royal zoning district and establishing a temporary moratorium on data center applications.

(Above and below) the board room at the Warren County Government Center was packed for a Town Council meeting that ran from June 22 to the early morning of June 23. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh

Once those instructions are followed, the council will address the resulting text amendment in its final action. The task for the commission will include defining “data center” versus “technology”. This multifaceted motion was made and passed with the awareness that data centers have a history of negatively impacting communities, generating concerns ranging from environmental to fiscal, including questions about land use, infrastructure impacts, and the safety, health, and welfare of citizens.

Three of 95 people spoke against data centers as the council prepared to vote on a text amendment that would allow data centers with SUPs in the I-2 zone.

The story is most eloquently told by numbers. Over 300 people attended the meeting, 95 of them speaking at the public hearing for the text amendment that would allow data centers by SUP. The message was overwhelming and clear: data centers are not welcome here. Among the many reasons cited were the demand for utilities, noise pollution, and the alteration of a beautiful view from Skyline Drive. All the reasons add up to the consensus that data centers would be utterly out of character with Front Royal. It was obvious that the community had given the issues deep thought. Some members who spoke conceived the conflict as a battle between good and evil. One resident quoted Fyodor Dostoevsky from The Idiot: “Beauty will save the world.” Another urged the council to put on the mind of Christ.

The crowd gave a standing ovation after the council’s vote. The crowd also received perspective, hearing from Mayor Lori Cockrell and several council members that community participation in these meetings is truly valuable to those who sit on the dais. Thus, it stings when some speakers suggest that participation may be meaningless. Veitenthal stated that this was the first time she arrived with her mind made up. She also stated that the evening was a perfect example of why items to be voted upon should receive two readings: how many speakers approached the dais with material for the clerk to be distributed to the council? The time it takes to digest what the council learns from the public requires greater deliberation, she communicated, indicating how deeply she feels about community involvement and the two readings that would facilitate it.

The vice-mayor’s comments also included a reference to the Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability (ACES) and its recommendation of denial, based on the impact data centers have on infrastructure and related concerns. Both Cockrell and Veitenthal testified about overflowing inboxes and emphasized the importance of responding to each email whenever possible. A point of clarification was received from Veitenthal about the Avtex property, in which she explained that the sale was made by an entity separate from the Town and that the property in question has not come before the council for consideration.

Bolton Hutchison stood with the mayor after leading the gathering in the pledge of allegiance.

Because of the lateness of the hour, the council forewent the usual reports and transitioned to a closed meeting, having briefly transacted other business before the hearing on data centers.

The mayor, council, and staff honored Tina Presley, sixth from right, in her departure from the role of clerk.