The historic data center application for the Belmont Innovation Campus passed the Board of Supervisors vote on April 10th, 2024 after the application underwent major revisions to decrease the size and server capacity.
On March 13th, after a lengthy application process in which the applicant faced significant public backlash, the Board of Supervisors voted to deny the massive data center rezoning project, Belmont Innovation Campus. In this historic decision, the Board denied a rezoning and increase in FAR (size and server capacity) that would have put a significant amount of additional stress on Loudoun’s already constrained power grid.
However, following this meeting, Supervisor Mike Turner made a motion to reconsider the decision following the applicant’s agreement to reduce FAR to what is allowed by-right. Though the size of the data center is now allowed by county policy as a use that does not require legislative approval, the applicant is still asking for a rezoning of an agricultural uses parcel that does not allow data center development per the Zoning Ordinance. A portion of the applicant’s original sustainable elements and environmental concessions were excluded from the final application. See the resources below for additional information.
Loudoun County press release
Email from Supervisor Mike Turner
Announcement from PEC on initial denial of the application
Loudoun Times-Mirror article about the denial and reconsideration