Planning Director Lauren Kopishke Speaks Candidly About Data Centers Following a Meeting of the Town Planning Commission

“It is irresponsible not to have standards,” Planning Director Lauren Kopishke said when she sat down with the Royal Examiner on the morning of Thursday, July 17, to address concerns raised about data centers by the previous night’s meeting of the Town Planning Commission.

The Town Planning Commission convenes for a regular meeting on the evening of Wednesday, July 16. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

The conversation that ensued revealed that any standards the Town may have for restricting and regulating the arrival of a data center in Front Royal are embryonic. “We haven’t even discussed it yet,” Kopishke said, referring to how the issue is currently articulated among the commissioners. What the commission does have is an agenda packet that includes a draft ordinance that would restrict any potential data center to the Industrial (I-2) District by special-use permit, along with performance standards that would regulate the establishment across a wide variety of categories.

She acknowledged that this issue was not born yesterday. Any cursory Internet search will reveal that the Northern Virginia Daily has done a stellar job of covering this beat for no less than five years. Although there is no record of a developer’s interest approaching the Town, the conversation about data centers, their strengths, and potential hazards has been ongoing in this community, even if it is just theory.

But the issue hardly seemed theoretical when an article by Daily journalist Alex Bridges, anticipating the agenda packet, generated a storm of controversy on social media. “I felt it was premature,” Kopishke explained, pointing to the early stage of the draft ordinance. The commission will discuss it for the first time at their August 6 work session to which the public is encouraged to come. Although there is no public participation at work sessions, the opportunity to observe the commissioners as they conduct this critical discussion will prepare citizens to contribute intelligently to the public hearing in September. As the commissioners merely provide a recommendation, the item will not come before the Town Council until October.

At the regular meeting on Wednesday night and in the work session that followed, Kopishke highlighted the importance of preparedness on the part of commissioners, encouraging them to review the draft, considering their first official discussion on August 6. Surprisingly, considering Bridges’ article, there were no contributions during public comments. But the gravity of the meeting was not lost on county commissioner William Gordon, who explained that he was there to listen.

The manifestation of the item in the consent agenda stresses how early in the process this development is going to press. Some readers may be wondering: What exactly is a data center? The definition of a data center provided in red in the draft ordinance reads as follows: “A use where digital information is processed, transferred, and/or stored, occupying 10,000 square feet or more, where the majority of space is occupied by computers, servers, telecommunications, and related equipment (including supporting equipment).” A small data center would occupy less than 10,000 square feet.

The pros and cons of data centers are outside the scope of this article. Whatever position one may hold in that ongoing debate, one should be alert to the opportunity for civic engagement as this process goes forward.

Click here to watch the Front Royal Planning Commission Meeting of July 16, 2025.