Members of Goochland County and surrounding areas meet to learn about the environmental impacts of data centers. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)

Goochland County, home to just over 28,000 residents and more than two hours south of Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley,” is the latest locality to face intense community pushback over plans to lure data center development to the area.

“Not planning to grow, planning to preserve,” Board of Supervisors member Neil Spoonhower told a packed Thursday hearing of frustrated residents while defending his support for creating a technology overlay district (TOD).

The TOD stretches from Interstate 64 about five miles down Route 288 to Patterson Ave. It’s designed to attract data centers and other energy-intensive projects by offering incentives that country leaders say will bring new  tax revenue and jobs.

Most of the area is already zoned industrial, though some agricultural parcels would require additional permitting. Companies using the incentives would be subject to limits on building size, noise ordinances and setbacks from nearby homes.

After a six hour meeting, the board voted 4-1 to approve the district. More than 80 residents from Goochland and surrounding counties spoke in opposition. With data center development expanding beyond Northern Virginia, nearby localities such as Hanover and Henrico are also balancing community concerns with the economic upside. Goochland officials noted the county has spent years recovering from past financial instability.

“Our county’s financial portfolio needs to be more balanced in order to meet the needs of our community,” said board chair Tim Winfree.

Many Virginia localities already have similar overlay zones to guide where tech and manufacturing facilities can be located. Supervisor Jonathan Lyle argued Goochland is late to the game.

“If you want economic development, and technology is where development is happening, what can we do to be more prominent and visible for technology companies? So a technology overlay district was seen as a tool, not the tool, but a tool, that would help us attract more industry,” Lyle said.

Several changes were made to the original proposal, and Lyle unsuccessfully pushed for a one-year delay to address community concerns and study potential impacts. His motion failed to receive a second.