Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors is considering whether to withdraw special grandfathering arrangements that allow 23 planned data centre projects to proceed under rules that applied before tighter controls were introduced.
Supervisors Juli Briskman and Laura TeKrony are expected to present a resolution at the board’s business meeting on Tuesday, September 1, calling for the 2025 grandfathering resolution to expire immediately if the proposed amendment is adopted.
The move would not halt the projects straight away. It would begin a process that could require the applications to undergo public hearings and receive a final vote from the Board of Supervisors, rather than continuing through an administrative review by county staff.
Loudoun County data centre projects face renewed scrutiny
Loudoun County changed its planning rules in March 2025, generally ending so-called by-right approval for new data centres in several industrial zoning districts. Future developments in those areas must now obtain a special exception, bringing them before elected officials and opening the process to public scrutiny.
However, supervisors voted 5-4 to preserve the previous system for certain applications formally accepted before February 12, 2025. The arrangement applies to projects that meet conditions including limits on changes to their plans and the requirement that they are pursued diligently. ([loudoun.gov](https://www.loudoun.gov/6221/Phase-1-Project-Plan-for-Data-Center-Sta?utm_source=openai))
More than 20 administrative applications were identified as eligible for the exemption. Briskman and TeKrony’s proposal would seek to bring those schemes within the newer planning regime, although the exact effect on each project would depend on its individual status.
“Loudoun residents have been clear about the negative impact that unconstrained data center growth is having on our communities,” Briskman said in a joint release. She said projects should no longer be allowed to move ahead without the greater scrutiny already required for newer applications.
TeKrony said the county’s electricity grid and communities were “at a breaking point”, pointing to the spread of power lines and substations near homes and schools. Both supervisors opposed the original grandfathering resolution, which was adopted alongside the first phase of the county’s data centre reforms. ([va-loudouncounty.civicplus.com](https://va-loudouncounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/222051/Release—Briskman-and-TeKrony-Seek-to-End-2025-Data-Center-Grandfathering-Exceptions))
The industry’s supporters argue that tighter restrictions risk deterring major investment and construction work, including jobs for electricians, heating and ventilation specialists and other skilled trades. Bret Swanson of the Heritage Foundation said the sector was creating substantial demand for well-paid workers.
Opponents, including Briskman, say the pace of construction is affecting residents’ quality of life and bringing industrial infrastructure closer to residential communities. People in and around Leesburg have described concerns over noise, development near homes and the wider impact of the expansion.
Loudoun County is one of the world’s largest data centre hubs. County officials say it has more than 250 facilities covering approximately 53 million square feet, while the industry generates more than $1 billion in annual local tax revenue. The county says the March 2025 reforms were intended to balance those economic benefits against concerns over land use and community impacts. ([loudoun.gov](https://www.loudoun.gov/DataCenters))
The board is also due to consider a separate proposal later in September on whether applications should be paused while the next phase of its data centre planning work is completed. That phase is scheduled to run into spring 2027. ([va-loudouncounty.civicplus.com](https://va-loudouncounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/222051/Release—Briskman-and-TeKrony-Seek-to-End-2025-Data-Center-Grandfathering-Exceptions))
