Dear Neighbors,
What we know: Past behavior is a predictor of the future. Our past, our current, and our future histories are being erased unless we all get engaged to prevent this.
(Send a powerful message to Compass and our county leadership – see below)
Prince William County is rich in African-American and indigenous peoples’ history. The legacy of their settlements still exist and must be protected. The Carver Road Settlement, Thoroughfare Town, and Jennie Dean’s birthplace and home, in the Western end of the County, are three of these communities. All are under threat from over-development.
The Carver Rd. Settlement area was given a promise that a road extension would not be planned. In spite of that, the Pathway to 2040 Comprehensive Plan approved last December now includes the extension of McGraws Corner Dr. from Somerset Crossing to Lee Highway, and the widening of Old Carolina Rd. – directly affecting the Settlement.
Thoroughfare Town, in the Rural Crescent, is facing the worst kind of decimation – total eradication of one of their cemeteries. In spite of multiple official records documenting the Scott Cemetery, this Board has done nothing to enforce the rules and hold the developer accountable. Here are pictures taken just yesterday, 4/19.
This video outlines the scope of desecration in Thoroughfare:
The Roadblock in Thoroughfare
Stop the desecration of Thoroughfare! Coalition To Save Historic Thoroughfare – A Town Under Siege | Facebook
This Board has allowed the desecration of Hallowed Ground in Thoroughfare. Imagine what will happen once they allow the rezoning of 2100 acres for the Digital Gateway project, which is the location of Jennie Dean’s home. We have heard a lot about the Hallowed Ground and historic resources within the Digital Gateway application. Even our own Historic Commission, time and time again, has rejected this “atrocious atrocity” project. We hear “commitments” made from QTS and Compass that they will “protect open space and hallowed ground.”
This anti-environment plan will raze over entire neighborhoods and our histories. What is being done RIGHT NOW in Thoroughfare IS this Board’s record of “protecting” similar places.
If the Coalition could hand Ann Wheeler and her majority a grade for their performance, they would get an F for protecting OUR quality of life!
Another data center town hall is being held next week. This time Chair Wheeler has gone quiet. She probably doesn’t want any more bad press about data centers to affect her re-election campaign at this time – since there was such backlash to the similar QTS town hall last Tuesday.
On this coming Tuesday night, April 25th, Compass – the other data center applicant in the Digital Gateway project – will also hold a town hall at Bull Run Middle School. They will also be attempting to convince this community that industrialization of our watershed, our homes, and our rural crescent is in our best interest. We again reject their propaganda.
We who are raising families throughout Prince William County understand that WE are the ones who are losing out because of unrestrained data center sprawl. We can simply look at the track record of Ann Wheeler’s majority and say no thank you!
Click here to tell Compass we did not move to Prince William County to be consumed by data centers.