Henrico Planning Commission recommends denial of Varina data center plan
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At its Sept. 11 meeting, the Henrico Planning Commission recommended denial of a request from Wagner Urban Logistics LLC for a permit to build a data center in Varina, not far from Baker Elementary School.
The recommendation is part of a potential trend toward more caution from the county related to data center development that led to the adoption of more stringent review standards for these types of proposals in June 2025.
The 195-acre proposed site, on Darbytown Road, is across the road from the New Market Village neighborhood and half a mile from Baker Elementary.
The proposal has aroused significant opposition since its announcement, and a number of residents spoke against it at the meeting. Their concerns focused on the global environmental impact of data centers as well as on the specific impact to that neighborhood. Residents cited loss of green space, noise pollution, power and water use, and other concerns that have come up with other data center proposals, as well as the proximity of this specific site to residences and a school.
Attorney Andy Condlin, speaking for Wagner Urban Logistics, argued that a data center fit the industrial nature of the area, given that it was surrounded by factories, a power station, a transmission line, and a landfill. Further, he said, the proposal met the design standards set by the county in June and would cause less of an impact than any of the already approved industrial uses for the site.
Varinia Commissioner William Mackey summed up the commission’s decision by noting that while the proposal would bring benefits, he felt the harms would far outweigh those benefits. During the break before the next case, he remarked on a hot mic to Brookland Commissioner Bob Witte that “I think it’s a matter of the location, not a matter of the project.”
The Henrico Board of Supervisors will make a final decision on the proposal at its 6 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Oct. 14. Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson has already posted on his social media channels that he intends to vote against the plan.
The meeting will be held in the Board Room of the Administration Building at the Henrico County Government Center, located at Parham and Hungary Spring Roads.
Members of the public who wish to attend in person or via livestream can find more information on the Henrico County website.
