Virginia County Advances Tech Hub Plan with By-Right Nuclear Power, Sparking Citizen Backlash

A plan to attract high-tech businesses like data centers and even small nuclear power plants to a rural Virginia county has taken a major step forward, but not without a fight from hundreds of concerned residents. After hours of emotional public testimony over two nights, the Goochland County Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend the controversial zoning proposal to the county’s Board of Supervisors, who will address it on November 6, 2025. However, their recommendation came with a list of significant changes aimed at addressing the community's fears about noise, safety, and loss of their way of life.

What is the County Proposing?

Goochland County officials want to create a Technology Overlay District (TOD), which is a special set of zoning rules for certain areas in the eastern part of the county. This plan doesn’t change the basic zoning of the land but adds new rules on top of it to create "campus-style" developments for technology businesses.

The main goal is to bring in businesses that pay a lot of taxes, like advanced manufacturing and data centers. The county hopes to change its tax base from the current 82% residential and 18% commercial to a 70/30 split. This new tax money would help pay for county services like schools and first responders, pay down existing debt, and lower the tax burden on homeowners.

To attract these companies, a separate but related Technology Zone (TZ) would offer financial incentives, such as reimbursing some permit and utility connection fees.

Powering the Future: Data Centers and Nuclear Energy

High-tech facilities use a massive amount of electricity. To address this, the plan includes definitions for new types of power plants that could be built in the district:

• Small Modular Nuclear Reactor (SMR) Facility: A small nuclear power plant that produces less than 300 megawatts of electricity. The reactors are designed to be built in a factory and assembled on-site.
• Natural Gas Peaking Plant: A power plant that runs on natural gas and operates only during times of high electricity demand.

Initially, the revised plan proposed allowing these power plants to be built "by-right," meaning a company could build one automatically if it met all the rules, without a special public hearing for that specific project.

Hundreds of Residents Voice Opposition

The proposal drew huge crowds to community meetings and public hearings, where residents shared their deep concerns. The main issues raised were:

• Nuclear Safety: Many speakers were terrified by the idea of an "experimental" nuclear reactor near homes, schools, and a local quarry that conducts regular blasting. Experts, including retired employees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and contractors with nuclear experience, warned that SMR technology is unproven, produces significantly more radioactive waste than traditional plants, and that Goochland should not be a "test bed". Residents also expressed fears about increased childhood cancer risks, citing scientific studies.
• Constant Noise: People worried about the non-stop hum from data centers and loud generator testing. At one hearing, a sound expert demonstrated what 65 decibels of continuous noise sounds like, and warned that future AI data centers will be even louder. Another speaker compared the proposed noise limit to "a vacuum cleaner running right outside your back door 24/7".
• Loss of Local Control: The "by-right" development proposal was a major point of anger. Residents felt it silenced their voice and removed public oversight on massive industrial projects being built next to their neighborhoods.
• A History of "Oversights": Several speakers pointed to what they called a history of poor planning decisions by the county, including zoning industrial land next to residential areas in 1987 and later approving those neighborhoods without adding protections. They worried the TOD was another "grave oversight".

The County's Revisions

In response to a flood of public feedback after a July community meeting, county staff made several changes to the proposal before the September public hearings. These included:

• Stricter Noise Rules: Generator testing was limited to weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.. The location for measuring noise was also changed from the facility’s property line to anywhere within an adjacent residential property.
• Tougher Setbacks: The revised plan required data centers to be set back at least 300 feet from residential properties and have a 250-foot vegetated buffer. It also required much larger setbacks of 500 to 600 feet for buildings taller than 60 or 80 feet.
• Limits on Power Plants: SMRs and gas plants were restricted to specific industrial zones and required to be at least 1,500 feet from any homes or the county line.

A Split Decision with Major Conditions

After listening to hours of public testimony, the Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend the plan, but they attached a list of major changes for the Board of Supervisors to consider. These recommendations directly reflected the public's biggest fears:

1. No More By-Right Power Plants: They recommended that SMRs and gas plants should require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This would force any company wanting to build a power plant to go through a public hearing.
2. Bigger Buffers for Data Centers: They asked for a 500-foot setback for data centers built in areas currently zoned for agriculture.
3. Lower Height Limits: They suggested limiting the by-right building height to 80 feet for structures near homes.
4. Quieter Operations: They recommended reducing the allowed noise levels even further.

What Happens Next?

The Planning Commission's vote is only a recommendation. The final decision rests with the Goochland County Board of Supervisors, who will hold their own public hearing on the proposal. That meeting is currently scheduled for November 6, 2025. The outcome will determine the future of this rural community as it weighs the promise of a technology boom against the desire to protect the quality of life its residents cherish.