Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance Amendments

The Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) process concluded with the adoption of the new Zoning Ordinance in December 2023. Upon completion, there were several outstanding issues that were to be addressed in separate Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance Amendments (CPAM/ZOAM). Many of these outstanding issues, which Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy followed throughout the ZOR, are being addressed in two CPAM/ZOAM processes: Western Loudoun Rural Uses Standards and Data Center Standards and locations.

Each of these CPAM/ZOAM processes had project plans introduced through the Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC) in the summer of 2024. Following deliberation and finalization by TLUC, the project plans were forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for approval. The outstanding ZOR issues are being addressed in these separate plans to account for changes that must be made to the Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan in order to make changes to the Zoning Ordinance.

Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards

The Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards CPAM/ZOAM will cover several important issues ranging from event space regulations to uses in the Mountainside Overlay District (MOD). The concerns that we tracked during the ZOR regarding lighting and noise standards will continue to be discussed intermittently throughout the process. We have continued to provide input that discourages noise and light pollution, which can harm wildlife in rural areas.

You can read our comments for the September meeting on the MOD, where we advocated for strict steep slope protections and setbacks from mountain springs. TLUC gave additional direction to staff on changes to the MOD at their January 22 meeting. The full list of the topics discussed is included in the Board’s TLUC report. This resource outlines the stakeholder engagement process that the Western Loudoun Rural Uses and Standards CPAM/ZOAM went through in the past year. This project plan passed through TLUC in July 2024 and was approved by the Board on September 24, 2024. At one of the final directional TLUC meetings on January 29th, several motions were approved which countered resident concerns and have brought protections into jeopardy. 

LWC’s primary concerns lie with the impacts of potential changes to the Mountainside Overlay District. This includes a proposed reduction of the setback requirement from both ridgelines and mountain springs from 300’ to 100’ as well as not requiring county oversight for certain building structures and paving repairs. Additionally, there have been consistent asks from residents for restriction or prohibition of commercial development on the Mountainside—we support this ask and look forward to discussion on this request. For more details and information, please see the following resources: 

• Packet for the May 4th Special Business Meeting
• WLRUS page on the county website
• Do’s and Don’ts for public input and asks for each expected motion, courtesy of the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition
• Email blast from our partners at the Piedmont Environmental Council

We need your voice to advocate for mountainside habitat—some of the most critical for wildlife subsistence in the county. The last ecological cores in the county are almost entirely in the MOD. In a county developing as quickly as Loudoun, it is imperative that we take intentional steps to protect our remaining vital ecological resources. 

Data Center Standards and Locations

The Data Center Standards and Locations CPAM/ZOAM project plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors in February of 2024. They directed staff to begin the implementation in two distinct phases of several key themes and goals that could not be addressed in the ZOR.

Phase 1
Phase 1 of this project would require new data centers to go through the legislative process before beginning construction. In the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, this would designate “data center” as a conditional use. In the Zoning Ordinance Amendment, this would require that data center uses be designated as a Special Exception in all zoning districts where they can currently be built by-right (without needing a Board vote).

Background
After it was recommended for denial following a prolonged review by the Planning Commission, this project was considered by the Board of Supervisors on February 12 and was discussed further on March 4. On March 4, county staff presented information to the Board on grandfathering considerations (guidelines for how in-process applications could be exempt from new rules). There were significant grandfathering concessions during the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite. This, combined with the protections afforded by vested rights required by the state code, lead to our position that no further grandfathering was needed.

Thank you to everyone that joined us in the courtyard before the public input session on March 18 to show support for the initiative without grandfathering. While we are disappointed that many in-process applications are being grandfathered and will not be put through the legislative process, all new data center applications going forward will be required to do so.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the Data Center CPAM/ZOAM will lay out more stringent standards for how new data centers in the county can operate. The project plan for Phase 2 was discussed at the July meeting of the Transportation and Land Use Committee (TLUC) and approved by the full Board of Supervisors in September. Recommendations from TLUC included stricter, data-center-specific noise standards and emissions regulations to account for diesel generators. The Department of Planning and Zoning staff is proposing these considerations as well as restrictions for data centers in the Transition Policy Area, enablement of onsite power generation, and regulations or standards for required substations. Additionally, staff presented a goal to “enhance guidance for evaluating data centers as conditional uses by considering impacts related to noise, light, energy consumption, water use, air quality, and compatibility with place type visions.” Currently, county staff is preparing draft text for the CPAM and ZOAM that will explicitly outline these standards. This text is expected to be presented for public input in early 2026. Check back here for updates on the full Board discussion – we will need your voices to ensure new standards promote sustainability to the fullest extent!