By Nolan Stout Jan 22, 2022
Several people say they couldn’t access Prince William County’s listening session on data centers after a late switch to a virtual event for winter weather that never came.
The county’s planning office held a virtual listening session Thursday on its ongoing review of the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District and its possible expansion.
The district is roughly 10,000 acres designated in 2016 to support data center development by reducing regulatory hurdles.
The Board of Supervisors voted in May to study areas to expand the district along high-transmission power lines. A consultant is examining potential areas to expand the district but will also consider necessary changes to construction standards, the Comprehensive Plan and the zoning ordinance, along with any other effects from data centers.
The meeting was initially planned in person at George Mason University’s Beacon Hall Conference Center, but registered attendees were notified late Wednesday night that it would be virtual. Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, R-Brentsville, attempted to have the meetings delayed at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday over concern for the coronavirus pandemic, but her motions failed to pass.
Interim Planning Director Rebecca Horner said the decision was made because of the forecast for wintry weather.
The National Weather Service reported no more than .24 inch of precipitation in Prince William County between midnight Wednesday and 11 p.m. Thursday.
“The fact that I’m speaking to you virtually right now is ridiculous,” said Vida Carroll.
Elena Schlossberg told InsideNoVa on Friday that she heard of at least 20 people who could not join the meeting.
“This is a disaster,” she told planning officials. “There are people who could not get on, who never got a link. This is not true transparency and public participation. … You should have delayed it.”
Horner said at the start of the meeting that because it became a fully virtual event, the county is planning to schedule another in-person meeting.
More than 40 people spoke at the hearing, which at times served as a hybrid hearing on the overlay district and the proposed PW Digital Gateway.
The gateway is a request by landowners on Pageland Lane to have their land designated for data centers, a proposal they say could support 27.6 million square feet of development. The county is planning an in-person event on that proposal on Jan. 27.
Thirty-four people were opposed to expanding the overlay district and 10 were in favor of growing it at Thursday’s meeting.
Those in opposition felt there’s enough available land in the existing overlay or didn’t want to take away designated rural areas. However, many of them were frustrated because the county is seeking public input, but hasn’t generated any policy proposals on which people could comment.
“This meeting is a travesty,” said Haymarket Councilor Bob Weir. “We’re here supposed to comment on something. Comment on what?”
Officials have said the meeting was to gather input on the direction residents want the county to go prior to policy development.
Several speakers also said the county needs to conduct market, environmental and resource studies before moving forward with any changes to the district.
“You cannot continue with this so-called planning without completing a water study of this entire county,” said Marilyn Karp. “If you have any amount of brains you know data centers use a huge amount of water.”
Several of those in favor of expanding the overlay district are part of the PW Digital Gateway application. They said expanding the district could meet the county’s goals, increase commercial tax base and bring jobs to the area.
“Putting a data center corridor along existing massive transmission lines makes sense,” said Ali Imam.
Ruthann Pisaretz said data centers would have “the least impact” on rural areas of any type of development. John Crown said it is a small sacrifice compared to the entirety of the county’s rural area.
“This makes sense for the majority of Prince William County residents,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent of the rural crescent will not be touched.”
Diana Perfect chastised the people seeking to put data centers on Pageland Lane.
“I’ve seen Ashburn, Va., and it’s ugly,” she said. “That is not what we want for the Gainesville area.”
More information about the overlay district and a video of Thursday’s meeting can be found at pwcva.gov/department/planning-office/data-center-overlay-district-comprehensive-review.
The PW Digital Gateway listening session will start with an open house at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27, followed by public comment at 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hall Conference Center, 10945 George Mason Circle.
For more information on the PW Digital Gateway meeting, or to register, visit pwcva.gov/department/planning-office/pw-digital-gateway