Ever since Greenbrier County’s current state senator and delegates voted with the majority last year to prevent local residents and governments from having a say in placement of data centers, communities across West Virginia have been holding their breath to see if they will be the next target for these monstrous industrial buildings. With their enormous consumption of local water supplies, noise, and massive power demands that drive up prices for all electrical ratepayers, these facilities blight the landscapes of rural communities that are unlucky enough to be chosen by the out-of-state corporations pushing them. Data centers proposed for Tucker, Berkeley, and eight other West Virginia counties have prompted other small Allegheny Mountain towns to watch for red flags that they might be next.
That’s one of the reasons why recent proposals by the Greenbrier County Commission to weaken the zoning ordinance governing areas around Lewisburg are so concerning. Although the zoned area comprises only about 8% of the county, the remaining 92% being unzoned, the Commission wanted to allow a broad range of commercial uses to be established there. The Open Space-Conservation district, an even smaller portion of the zoned area, is, as its name implies, intended to prevent commercial development in the farming area just west of Lewisburg along US 60 and I-64. Eliminating protections for this productive farmland, the scenic western gateway strongly associated with Lewisburg’s image throughout the state, is the first step. Along with commercial development, all that flat land would be an ideal target for data centers.
The Greenbrier County Planning Commission spent several years updating the zoning ordinance and recommended the revised version to the County Commission earlier this year. However, the County Commission rejected that version and out of public view, came up with a gutted ordinance that would have allowed 29 new commercial uses on the protected lands. Although they have recently scaled back some of these provisions, such things as commercial RV campgrounds, amphitheaters, multi-family condominiums, and mass-gathering events (weddings, rock concerts, etc. up to 108 days per year) remain as permissible uses. Many have asked “Why are they doing this?” The Commissioners would tell you this has nothing to do with data centers which they are powerless to control. However, weakening zoning protections has been observed elsewhere to be the first step in paving the way for such developments.
The Commissioners have scheduled new public hearings on their enfeebled ordinance for Sept. 14 and 15 at the State Fairgrounds. Residents of the zoned area as well as others concerned about responsible land use who want to protect open space, preserve their home values, and confine commercial sprawl to areas already designated for that should visit greenbrierlandalliance.org for more information. Please email the Commissioners and urge them to adopt the Planning Commission’s recommended version.
