Why York County’s $1 billion data center project could grow even taller
York County’s first data center, a billion-dollar project in Lake Wylie, may be bigger than expected. Literally.
The county planning commission voted Monday to allow data centers to be built taller than other industrial or commercial properties. Maximum heights are 50 or 60 feet now, depending on zoning district. Data centers could go as high as 80 feet, if York County Council follows the planning commission recommendation.
“We’re just raising the height for data centers,” said Diane Dil, planning manager for the county. The change was requested by the Kansas-based digital infrastructure company QTS Data Centers, Dil said.
QTS plans to build a nearly 5.3 million-square-foot data center on a campus at Hands Mill Highway and Campbell Road. The Lake Wylie site is just west of Big Allison Creek and Little Allison Creek. The company projects a $1 billion investment.
“They notified York County on difficulties in accommodating new technology into the proposed buildings given the maximum building height of 60 feet,” Dil said.
County planners and economic development staff also reviewed height changes for data centers before coming to the latest recommendation.
What is the QTS data center?
York County Council approved a tax incentive deal two years ago with QTS, for a project then code named Project Cobra.
The Herald publicly linked more than $10 million in property sales to QTS before the county announced the company. The Herald also reported details of the incentive deal, which projected a $1 billion investment and a dozen new jobs.
The county approved its incentive deal the same fall 2023 night council finalized a similar deal, by a narrow 4-3 margin, for Silfab Solar.
The solar cell manufacturing company projected a $150 million investment and 800 jobs. Silfab has been a contentious issue in Fort Mill since, with many neighbors arguing the company shouldn’t be allowed to operate in its light industrial space on Logistics Lane.
QTS didn’t have the same controversy. County approvals for the project so far have been unanimous.
County records show QTS has received several construction, retaining wall, tree removal and traffic permits for the 2107 Hand Mill Highway project. A commercial sketch plan is listed as “not approved.” A permit for a power substation submitted in February has been approved.
New data centers need more height for installing and cooling, Dil said. Sites are largely electronic and take considerable power, but relatively few employees to monitor operations.
Data center height and setback rules
The new county rule would trade height for setbacks.
For every foot a building rises between what’s allowed now and 80 feet, it would have to move in two feet closer to the center of the property. That’s on all sides except the front of the building.
Setback buffers would be larger if a data center borders residential property.
Planning commission members had concerns passing a blanket rule, when for instance fire stations in different parts of the county may not have the same apparatus to reach taller buildings. Commissioners wanted to look at data centers case-by-case. They also questioned whether variances or special exceptions might be better.
A countywide rule change on data center heights would keep future requests from going to the zoning appeals board, like the Silfab case did over what’s become a controversial zoning decision.
Plus, Dil said, appeals like that require a property owner to list a hardship and they’re related to property uses. County zoning code deals with building dimensions.
“It’s hard to be able to establish what the hardship would be for this,” Dil said. “This has been a technological change. Everyone is going to encounter that exact same thing for any data center.”
