Protesters rally outside data center developer’s Manassas office | Headlines | insidenova.com
By Nolan Stout February 25, 2022
Protesters rally outside data center developer’s Manassas office. The Coalition to Protect Prince William County held a protest in front of QTS’ data center on Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Prince William County residents are calling on QTS Realty Trust Inc. to abandon its interest in constructing data centers along Pageland Lane, while the company says it is committed to sustainable development.
About 50 people protested outside of the Kansas-based company’s facility near George Mason University’s Science and Technology Campus on Wednesday.
The protest was driven by QTS’ interest in land within the proposed PW Digital Gateway – a request by Pageland Lane landowners to potentially pave the way for more than 27.6 million square feet of data centers on 2,100 acres in the area.
The development would be nearly as much data center space as is currently in use or under construction in neighboring Loudoun, the world’s largest concentration of such facilities.
A QTS spokesperson said Thursday that the company “has been approached and is seeking to acquire land” as part of the proposal. The landowners have indicated that roughly 800 acres is under contract for purchase pending their application.
“This is a unique opportunity to play a role in what could be the most significant economic development initiative in the county’s history,” the spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. “QTS has a strong track record of being a considerate, supportive and sustainable neighbor and is committed to a thoughtful development strategy that will preserve the historical significance and aesthetic beauty of the area.”
The company has several data centers throughout the U.S. and the Netherlands, including the existing Prince William County complex and several in Ashburn.
The PW Digital Gateway proposal is a request for the county to change the land designation of properties along Pageland Lane in the Comprehensive Plan from agricultural zoning to technology zoning.
A Comprehensive Plan amendment only changes what the county says it hopes for future use of the land. It does not bind the county, the board or the landowners to any guaranteed future uses. The properties would still require zoning approval to allow data centers.
Wednesday’s protestors were chanting and carried signs to “stay out of the rural crescent” and “save our sacred battlefield.”
“We don’t have to sacrifice hallowed ground and the Occoquan River watershed for good economic development,” said Elena Schlossberg.
Referring to the 1994 fight against Disney’s plan for a theme park near Haymarket, Schlossberg said “we are here to say to QTS data centers … go away. You think Disney had it hard? Just wait.”
Nicole Wilberg said the project would have a far-reaching impact beyond Pageland Lane.
“It will affect all of us from the rural crescent to the east end of the county,” she said.
Frank Washington, one of the leaders behind a push last year to save cemeteries in historic Thoroughfare, said the Pageland Lane area has a vital part of local African American history.
Washington said freed slaves settled in the area after the Civil War. Prior to that, the area was part of plantations and has graveyards for enslaved people. He referred to a historical map noting two slave graveyards near Thornton Drive.
“This land is where families of color built communities,” he said.
County staff created an overview of cultural resources in the area last month showing one of the slave graveyards within the proposed area.
Washington said the gateway application alarmingly only briefly mentions cemeteries.
“The Pageland area warrants more than a casual mention of cemeteries or graves,” he said.
Washington also said the historic Thornton School, which was created to educate freed slaves, was located at the corner of Thornton Drive and Pageland Lane. The building no longer stands but is marked by a cluster of trees.
“Those trees are now rooted in the foundation of the school,” he said.
Washington also admonished the Pageland Lane landowners for their tactics in promoting the project. In minimizing potential impacts on the Manassas National Battlefield, supporters have said “many question the need to celebrate the Confederacy or its victories on the battlefield” or the South’s “epic quest to preserve its abhorrent institution” of slavery.
Some supporters have also said the county’s designation of the rural area, with restrictions to only one home per 10 acres of land, is a racial exclusionary zone. They say the restrictions create economic barriers making homeownership in the area more unattainable for people of color.
“Please do not buy into this attempt to play the race card,” Washington said. “They are using this history to support their own agenda.”
Prince William County staff have not made a recommendation on the project or scheduled public hearings on the proposal. However, officials have indicated the proposal could reach the Planning Commission in April.
Nolan Stout covers Prince William County. Reach him at nstout@insidenova.com or @TheNolanStout on Facebook and Twitter.