By: E. Bruce Davis
November 25, 2021
After Kyle Hart, Kim Hosen, Bob Weir, and Elena Schlossberg concluded their presentations at the Nov. 4 Heritage Hunt Town Hall on Proposed Data Centers, nearly a dozen attendees posed questions and made suggestions regarding the proposed nearby data centers.
The impact on the county’s historical areas, ‘Hallowed Ground,’ traffic, tourism, fiscal needs for infrastructure, watershed, other environment aspects and quality of life were discussed.
One resident who spoke suggested data center development would drain resources and then leave the area.
Another resident asked how to unite and file lawsuits.
Hosen said there was an alliance of the PWC Conservation Alliance, the Coalition to Protect PWC, National Park Conservation Association, American Battlefield Trust, the Piedmont Environmental Council, and the Sierra Club.
She said there would be a meeting of many of them, “Smarter Growth and Sauvignon: A Conservation About Development in PWC,” on Nov. 10 at The Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm in Gainesville.
Schlossberg said, “Nobody is going to save us. We have to start in our homes and county.”
Bob Rogers asked who favored proliferation of nearby data centers.
Weir said the supporters are supervisors who do not live or represent those in western Prince William County.
Rogers also asked with data center obsolescence, where there are no plans for their use after this obsolescence and why trees and green spaces and recreational trails cannot be part of the infrastructure on proposed sites.
From a planning standpoint, Weir said, this ideal was hard to attain and suggested the height of data center structures could reach 70 feet, while it could take nearly 40 years for planted trees to reach that height.
Schlossberg said the question is location, and recommended calling members of the Board of County Supervisors, explaining that residents expect data centers to be located in the designated Overlay Area or into Brownfield Development, sites previously used for industrial or commercial purpose, to assure sustainability.
Someone recognizing the votes of supervisors outside of the Gainesville district must be changed and asked how to influence supervisors outside of the Gainesville district.
Schlossberg advised discussing with the elected officials how data centers will divert infrastructure money from other areas.
Hosen said to write, call and make appointments with supervisors, write letters to the editor, increase event audiences and talk to friends.
Hart suggested contacting state elected officials, as this is a national issue.
Another speaker asked for an environmental study.
Roger Yackel, who led the Town Hall meeting, said he had written to or spoken with county supervisors and state elected officials.
Another resident asked for the overlay district to be explained.
The Data Center Overlay District was explained as a large data center development area adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield Park.
Hosen said it has defined boundaries, and special rules have overridden zoning ordinances.
Weir said it includes existing industrial areas south of I-66, along the Route 234 corridor, down toward the airport and others areas off Wellington Rd. as well as other areas further south and near the Nokesville quarry.
Weir, a Haymarket Town Council member, said although it has changed, it has the necessary infrastructure for data centers.
Schlossberg said, “From 2019 to 2020, we’ve gone from, ‘I want clusters developments’ to ‘I want the most intensive, incompatible use in the Rural Crescent.’ We’ve gone from rural preservation to rural decimation.”
She said the Coalition to Protect Prince William County worked hard in cooperation with the Board of County Supervisors, planning directors, Dominion Energy, the Prince William Chamber of Commerce and the Data Center Technology Council to avoid what the community now faces three years later.
Another Heritage Hunt attendee said everyone’s talents needed to be used to avoid having this “turn us upside down.”
According to Yackel, Ann Wheeler, BOCS Chair, said everyone on Pageland Lane wants to sell.
Yackel said a few started and others do not want to be left with adjacent data centers.
Weir predicted data center areas would later change to warehouse and distribution centers.
John Lyver, a Heritage Hunt resident, who served as a NASA engineer, discussed his concerns, including the draining of the aquifer, the enormity of electricity required, the necessity of cooling water, the required chemical treatment of the water and the necessity of disposing of this “dirty water,” which he predicted would compromise the Occoquan Reservoir.
Lyver cited noise pollution from transformer and diesel generators. He predicted that Heritage Hunt residents would see, hear and smell the results of the data centers and more power lines would be required.
Overall, Lyver suggested opponents should emphasize the many impacts of the environment and health issues.
Another resident asked rhetorically why the county should face these issues in rural areas when the Overlay District already has the infrastructure.
An unidentified speaker said in a similar situation when he lived in an agriculturally zoned area in western New York, residents defeated the application to build a nearby motocross track.
They took actions similar to what is being proposed here in western Prince William County but hired zoning specialist lawyers to explain existing zoning laws did not include recreational use, and the motocross developer sold its land. He suggested HH do the same.
Another asked if what he just said would be considered a champion or a hired gun.
Hosen concluded, “They want to change the zoning ordinance to make it legal. I think they are aware they can’t do it right now,” saying in effect, they are trying to change the rules.
Since several speakers had requested a contact list, Yackel said he would provide email addresses for those who wanted to address the issues.
Among those he provided immediately were addresses for members of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, which can be found at https://www.pwcva.gov/department/board-county-supervisors.
Others include US Rep. Jennifer Wexton, https://wexton.house.gov/contact/ and Danica Roem State Delegate, DelDRoem@house.virginia.gov.