On March 19, 2024, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed Department of Planning and Development staff to update the county zoning ordinance with additional regulatory guidance for data center development. It is anticipated that the new regulations will require special exception approval for all data centers.

The directive was issued due to increased interest in the development of data centers in the county and throughout the region. At the end of 2023, the Land Use Policy Committee reviewed a staff-prepared report that explored potential regulatory changes to the zoning ordinance that included design considerations for new data centers, efforts to mitigate environmental impacts and changes to the overall approval process.

The draft zoning amendment text is expected to appear before the Planning Commission in June 2024 and before the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing in July 2024.