Henrico County Government has recently shared updates regarding amendments to its zoning ordinance concerning data centers. These updates were communicated through a series of tweets posted on June 11, 2025.
In a tweet dated June 11, 2025, the Henrico County Government announced that “The Board also has approved an ordinance that amends the county zoning ordinance to update regulations for data centers & set development standards for them as a principal or accessory use. The ordinance does not create an overlay district for data centers.” This indicates a move to regulate the development of data centers without establishing specific districts for their placement.
On the same day, another tweet detailed that “At a joint public hearing May 15 with the Planning Commission, the Board deferred action on an ordinance that would have established an overlay district for data centers in the White Oak Technology Park area. The measure approved tonight is an alternate proposal.” This suggests a shift from creating designated areas to more flexible regulations.
Further clarifying these changes, Henrico County Government tweeted on June 11, 2025, that “The amended ordinance requires Board approval of a provisional use permit (PUP) for future data centers and ends by-right development of the facilities. With the PUP requirement, projects would face public hearings before the Planning Commission & the Board of Supervisors.” This implies additional oversight and community involvement in approving new data center developments.
These changes come amid ongoing developments in Henrico County’s educational landscape. The Henrico County Public Schools District enrolled 50,464 students during the 2023-24 school year. Deep Run High School had notably high enrollment numbers among county schools during this period.
