Prince William Ends By-Right Data Centers Countywide in Unanimous 8-0 Vote

Ending by-right approvals for Prince William data centers means future projects need a special-use permit and a public hearing path.

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, voted 8-0 to approve a zoning text amendment that ends by-right data center development countywide, according to WTOP’s republish of InsideNoVa reporting. Future data center projects will generally have to seek a special-use permit and come before the board for final consideration.

The overlay district that long allowed data centers by-right inside its boundaries will shrink sharply from the form first adopted in May 2016. Supervisors paired the ban on new by-right approvals with a 90-day grace period framed by Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy, covering facilities already built or under construction and projects whose site plans have passed the county’s quality-control threshold.

Grace period fight and a mid-hearing closed session

Gainesville Supervisor George Stewart pushed a substitute for a zero-day grace period, arguing a 90-day window could spark a rush of filings. That substitute failed 3-5. Stewart, Gordy, and Occoquan Supervisor Kenny Boddye supported zero days. Chair Deshundra Jefferson, Coles Supervisor Yesli Vega, Potomac Supervisor Andrea Bailey, Neabsco Supervisor Victor Angry, and Woodbridge Supervisor Jeannie LaCroix voted against it.

Before the final tally, Jefferson called a closed session in the middle of the public hearing and deliberations. It lasted a little more than 30 minutes. Jefferson later told InsideNoVa she wanted legal guidance, called it a tough vote, and said she was glad the board reached a compromise even though some wanted a shorter or longer grace period. During the meeting she said she did not want a 4-4 deadlock and did not want to kick the can down the road.

Prince William data centers: Setbacks deferred, overlay narrowed

Separate talks on residential and school setbacks were not folded into Tuesday’s amendment. Planning Director Tanya Washington told the board staff is aiming for a November Planning Commission hearing on setbacks, with a board hearing targeted for January.

Readers who follow Never Late News land-use and infrastructure fights such as the SANDAG SB 79 Oceanside-Solana Beach lawsuit, Miami-Dade budget bus cuts and Metromover fare, Lake City’s mobility fees ordinance, and Colorado Springs’ Project Taurus data center postponement will see the same theme: local boards are reclaiming discretionary review over high-impact land uses that once moved by right.

Why this matters

Ending by-right data center zoning does not ban data centers. It changes who decides and when. Every new project outside the grace window must now survive a special-use hearing where neighbors, schools, and supervisors can demand conditions or say no. For Northern Virginia households living next to power lines, substations, and warehouse-scale campuses, that procedural shift is the headline.

For Discover readers outside the D.C. suburbs, Prince William’s 8-0 vote marks a national pattern: localities that once courted data centers for tax base are tightening the gate after residents organized around noise, power, and land-use spillover.

How Never Late News reported this

Never Late News based this report on WTOP’s Sept. 23, 2026, republish of InsideNoVa coverage, including the 8-0 final vote, special-use permit requirement, 90-day grace period, Stewart’s failed 3-5 zero-day substitute, Jefferson’s closed session and quotes, overlay shrinkage from the 2016 form, and the setback hearing timeline. Primary source: WTOP on Prince William’s by-right data center vote. We did not invent quotes or independently audit the zoning text for this draft.

Corrections and reader feedback

If you spot an error in vote tallies, grace-period details, supervisor names, overlay history, or hearing dates, email editor@neverlatenews.com with the correction and a source link. Never Late News corrects factual mistakes promptly and notes substantive updates when the county revises the zoning text after adoption.

About Never Late News: Never Late News is a US local and civic news site covering budgets, taxes, schools, housing, and public services with people-first reporting. Articles carry the byline Mike Joe. We prioritize timely, sourced civic coverage over clickbait.