Around Prince William: Are data centers really progress? | Headlines | insidenova.com
By Al Alborn
Dec 25, 2021
Some say progress is inevitable. The question is how do you define progress? Is it the amount of tax revenue the government collects, the miles of roads it builds, the quality of life of those it serves, or something else?
It’s a math problem. The answer is yes, sort of, to all of the above. The role of government is to manage these competing objectives, achieving a balance that results in improvements to our quality of life. Data centers are perhaps the latest example of our local government’s failure to understand its role in our lives. Math indicates data centers will increase our tax base at the expense of the character of Prince William County’s “Rural Crescent.” Should the data centers come to fruition, it appears the battle of the Bi-County Parkway will have to be fought again, and the war to preserve what little left is of our rural character will continue.
They should issue combat ribbons to residents who fight and win the battles to stop road construction and commercial development that would change the character of our community. The battle of the Bi-County Parkway should perhaps be particularly memorialized.
I remember the battle of Purcell Road. A plan was quietly presented with little public fanfare to widen this beautiful two-lane country road between Route 234 and Hoadly Road into four lanes connecting 234 to the Prince William Parkway. That is one of the few battles that residents actually won – for now. I suspect eventually this will happen, but not in my lifetime.
I remember a conversation with a former deputy county executive who wished to remain anonymous. I asked his opinion about induced demand. He understood the concept and recognized that adding or widening roads never actually improves anyone’s commute.
He shared that new roads aren’t really for Prince William County residents. They have nothing to do with making our commute easier. We build these roads for people who drive through our county to get to jobs in Fairfax County, the District of Columbia and even Maryland. They pass through Prince William without spending a dime here to contribute to the profits, economic development, small business revenue and tax base of Fairfax and other places north of the Occoquan River. I have a problem understanding exactly what’s in it for us.
One of the first things those newly elected to public office learn is how few people pay attention to local government. The people who do pay attention are those who profit from its decisions and largess. There is big money to be made in building data centers and roads, laying asphalt, designing shopping centers, consulting, and working through the process and legal loopholes necessary to make these things happen. The irony is they are the ones who will benefit most from the “increased tax base” things like data centers create. The irony is not amusing.
Data centers are monoliths that enshrine a transient state of quickly evolving technology. They will become interesting historical artifacts as technology continues to reduce the space needed to support cloud computing and new and better architectures replace them.
On their current path, some members of our Board of County Supervisors will be remembered most for these scars they leave behind on what’s left of our rural landscape long after they have moved on to other endeavors. They shall be missed by a few who profit from their decisions. By the rest of us – not so much. Perhaps a few new faces on the board is the progress we need.
Al Alborn is an award-winning columnist and member of the Virginia Press Association. His column appears every other week. You can learn more about Al at www.alborn.net and LinkedIn.