The Orme Farm application was originally similar to other data center-related applications that have been before the Board. Concerns with this application aligned with recent trends of increasing awareness of the environmental implications of data center proliferation. The rezoning portion of this legislative application asked for a portion of the property to be rezoned for industrial uses, with “data center” included as a use for the parcel.
Orme Farm location.
When the application was approved in fall 2024, “data center” was removed as an acceptable use for the property. However, “utility substation” remains as a potential use for this land. Because of this parcel’s proximity to other data centers, both existing and planned, it is very likely that substations will be built on this parcel. The danger with this outcome is that it may make it easier for applications to build data centers nearby, such as Greenlin Park.
The issues in the original Orme Farm application (described below) can still be broadly considered in the context of Loudoun’s data center problem.
The main concerns were the two special exceptions included in this legislative application. They ask for an increase in floor-area ratio (FAR) from 0.6 maximum to 1.0 maximum as well as an increased maximum lot coverage permitted from 0.45 to 0.60. Each of these requests intended to raise the server capacity of the data center, which would have in turn increase its power usage. Both have been seen in several recent data center legislative applications and would have contributed greatly to stress on the power grid.
The application included several concessions for environmental resources on the property such as a pollinator meadow, tree conservation area and recreational trail. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy acknowledges that these are beneficial inclusions and appreciate the applicant’s adherence to the standards of the newly adopted 2023 Zoning Ordinance. We hope that the applicant will retain these beneficial environmental features when developing the property.
For more information:
Loudoun County staff presentation on Orme Farm application
History of the property and overview of the application
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