Dear Supporters,
When we shared that the arc of justice bends in our direction, we did not know that the Planning Staff, even under immense pressure, would not only recommend denial of all three rezoning applications to the Board of Supervisors, but that they would also recommend AGAINST the waiver of the special use permit.
This community has managed the near impossible: never giving up, showing up at every twist and turn, demanding questions about power, water, land use, air quality, and corruption be answered.
We want to remind you, we are in a season of miracles, when the impossible may just be possible.
(SEE BELOW FOR WHAT YOU CAN DO)
We are in the home stretch, all of us have laid the groundwork and set the path for others to follow. How many times in your life can you say you were a part of something that made a difference, not only in your own community, but for an entire county and a state?
This community has never wavered; we have joined with our neighbors, far and wide, we have joined with dozens of conservation and environmental organizations, making our voices heard far beyond the confines of Prince William County. This community HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE! Be Proud – no matter the outcome of the vote.
“Ahead of a final vote next week before the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, the county’s professional planning staff is continuing to recommend denial of all three rezonings associated with the PW Digital Gateway data center project.”
“The Prince William County Planning Office on Thursday issued new reports addressing amended applications from QTS Realty Trust Inc. and Compass Datacenters, companies proposing to build 23 million square feet of data centers on roughly 2,100 acres along Pageland Lane in western Prince William near Gainesville in what would become the largest data center corridor in the world…”
“…Staff continues to oppose the amount of flexibility the developers give themselves in the proposal to modify their plans should they be approved. The applicants did not provide information on the proposed location of electrical infrastructure that will serve the facilities in each land bay, such as transmission lines, another sticking point leading staff to oppose the project…”
“…A key part of the application has been the developers’ insistence that they do not have to apply for a special use permit, which is required for all data centers outside the county’s “data center opportunity zone overlay district.”
“The permits involve a rigorous and specialized review process aimed at mitigating impacts to specific sites. QTS and Compass have argued that the level of detail in their applications allows for the SUP to be waived. But McGettigan’s critiques say the application is missing building footprints, site layouts and elevations, and that the details of buffering and supplemental landscaping are also uncertain…”
**************************************
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
December 7 – 11 (closes at 5 PM):
SIGN UP to speak virtually: Registration link for online public comment time
Please fill out the comment form to register to speak. Even if you are planning to attend and speak in person, we strongly advise registering to speak virtually to ensure that you are covered should something come up.
Add your name to the NPCA WhatsApp: join NPCA’s text alert threads to stay up to speed on the process once the Digital Gateway hearings start on the 12th. This will ensure that you don’t miss your chance to speak while also allowing you to not dedicate 24 hours to this process. That’s what NPCA is here for! Scan the attached QR code to ensure that you are receiving NPCA’s text alerts.
DECEMBER 12 –
9 AM: Native Indigenous People’s Prayer Vigil
What has been completely absent from the applications is a piece of our collective history, before the United States was created — our Native American History.
Media Alert – PWDG Prayer Vigil.docx (pwconserve.org)
“…Matthew “Maasaw” Howard, a Native American historian, has written a study that highlights a blatant lack of acknowledgment of tens of thousands of years of pre-colonial history. Maasaw emphasized the need to include this rich history in the county’s narrative. His study further indicates that resources and sites associated with historically marginalized communities has not been adequately assessed…”
A Call for Conscientious Consideration: Prince William Digital Gateway Threatens Land, Water, Heritage
Woodbridge, Virginia – The United Tribes of the Shenandoah, alongside a diversity of community faith leaders, will host a
Peaceful Prayer Ceremony
Tuesday, December 12
9 AM
Sean T. Connaughton Plaza
Between the James J. McCoart Building and
Development Services Building
at the county government complex in Woodbridge, VA.
The prayer vigil will precede the scheduled public hearing to consider the Prince William Digital Gateway.
8 AM – SIGNUP TO SPEAK IN PERSON
Members of the public wishing to speak in person on any of the rezonings can start signing up once the atrium opens at 8:00 am. Speakers will be given a number, which is the official speaking order. Those with a number may speak when called. If the speaker is not present when their number is called, they will move until the end to speak. Those speaking in person will speak before those speaking remotely.
10 AM HEARING – PUBLIC COMMENTS:
The three rezoning hearings will run concurrently, and you will be given the opportunity to speak to all three applications back-to-back. This is a total of 9 minutes for individuals and 15 minutes for those representing an organization.
As we’ve said before, these three applications are the most impactful land use cases to ever be heard in the county or the state. Take as much time as you need to walk through your numerous concerns. Do not feel pressure to go quicker than you’d like!
HOW LONG WILL IT GO?
Given this structure, we know that this hearing will last a long time. The Planning Commission hearing lasted nearly 23 hours, and all indications point to a similar timeframe for this meeting.
For those planning to testify virtually, we would strongly encourage you to do a technology check early in the hearing, just to ensure that everything is working correctly. Then, folks should feel free to go about their daily lives. We imagine virtual comment time will push into the early morning hours of Wednesday the 13th – but check into our Whatsapp for current status. Consider setting an early alarm, maybe 4 am, and then rejoin the virtual commenting room.
****************************************
On December 12th join your neighbors, be a part of protecting not only the western end of Prince William County but protecting our unique natural and cultural resources from short sighted irreversible industrialization.
We can be the proof that Prince William County is not going to roll over for the 21st century robber barons.