In her May 27 Data Center-Market Viability Review forwarded to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, Christina Winn, Executive Director, Economic Development, asserted, “Of the approximately 8,700 acres of land within the Data Center Opportunity Zone, there is approximately 600-1,100 acres Economic Development would consider market viable,” and “Of those parcels, there are only two sites that would meet the 100-acres scenario of a data center requirement.”
While the report notes that the most common requests are for 30-40 acres, it appears the 100 acres used as the basis is built on only the most recent requests from data-center operators.
A July 15, 2021 follow-up letter to the County Planning Director, Winn scaled down the analysis. She wrote that there were now “90 to 830 developable greenfield acres,” remaining with the date center opportunity zone.
As a result of this analysis, in a 5-3 party-line vote with Democrats voting in favor, the Board of County Supervisors initiated the PW Digital Gateway Comprehensive Plan Amendment on July 20, 2021.
Multiple Supervisors who represent constituents who live in eastern Prince William County asked that the public cease “attacking staff” with questions about the amendment, as they are only complying with the instructions from the Board of County Supervisors. I feel it is the role and responsibility of county residents to question staff presentations when the data they report is clearly in error.
A conservative analysis of the County records indicates the following:
25 Existing Data Centers
32 Properties (16 projects) with approved sq. footage, under grading, under construction, etc.
34 Parcels inside the Overlay District zoned for Data Center Development (not all inclusive)
*These parcels have use codes 971 and 972 , vacant land and do not include those requiring redevelopment.
Takeaways:
- Claim: There are only 90 to 830 developable greenfield acres remaining with the data center opportunity zone.
- Truth: There are at minimum 1,645 developable greenfield acres in the data center opportunity zone, not counting the 1,216 acres already approved for Data Center Development.
- Claim: Data Centers require 100-acre parcels.
- Truth: Existing data centers in Prince William County average 21 acres, with the most significant project covering about 83 acres. Overall, data center projects currently in development average 76 acres per parcel.
- Claim: Parcels requiring assemblage were not considered to be ready for construction.
- Truth: At least 11 existing and under development Data Center projects are comprised of assemblages. Prince William has 6.2 million square feet of existing data center usage per county records.
Prince William County has approved 27 million square feet of additional data center usage, bringing the total existing and approved data center square footage to at least 33 million square feet.
Undeveloped parcels within the Data Center Opportunity Zone allow from 19 million to 37 million additional square feet of Data Center development, bringing the potential to between 52 million to 79 million square feet.
One project within the Data Center Opportunity Zone, the KH Data proffer amendment, would add 1.3 million more, and a project outside the zone, the Compton Project, would add 1 million, totaling 2.3 million square feet .and increasing the potential to as much as 75.5 million square feet.
By themselves, approval of the Prince William Digital Gateway, House Family Data Center CPA, and Independent Hill Data Centers — all under consideration — would add as much as 57 million square feet of potent data center usage, increasing the total potential to as much as 29 million square feet for these projects.
Does anybody believe that the demand exists for more than 33 million square feet of existing and under-development data centers space in the county? That’s more than the existing square footage in Prince William and Loudoun Counties combined?
Does anybody (other than staff and a majority of the Board of County Supervisors) believe that the demand exists for a total of 84 million and 129 million square feet that would result from the approval of additional proposals such as the PW Digital Gateway or House Family CPA?
If there are any true believers in the latter, don’t hesitate to contact me as I have several ocean-front parcels in Nevada to sell you.
Robert Weir lives in Haymarket and is elected to serve on the Town Council.
Recent Stories
Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors easily approved the fiscal year 2025 budget with a few changes on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, to take effect on July 1.
School officials in Prince William County say Antisemitic symbols were found painted on the side of Coles Elementary and Benton Middle schools near Woodbridge.
Manassas City Council held a public hearing on the city’s budget, as residents once again are facing the prospect of paying more in taxes.
On April 22, 2024, at approximately 2:16 a.m., the Manassas City Police Department responded to a 911 call for shots fired in the 9100 block of Winterset Drive.
To celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week (May 6-10, 2024), Clean Air Partners is working with A Few Cool Hardware Stores to exchange DC, Maryland and Virginia residents’ gas-powered lawnmowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers at select Ace Hardware locations in the region. DMV residents who turn in their gas-powered lawn tools will receive a FREE Ego Power+ replacement including batteries and chargers, while supplies last.
Compared to gas, electric lawn equipment can reduce emissions, noise pollution, health risks and maintenance costs and time. The program aims to remove about a hundred gas-powered polluting tools from yards in the greater Baltimore-Washington region.
The exchanges will take place the weekends of May 17-19, 2024, and May 31-June 2, 2024, at A Few Cool Hardware Stores network of employee-owned Ace Hardware stores in the DC and Baltimore metro areas. To participate and get your free Ego Power+ lawn tool, sign up at https://qrco.de/CAPExchange to reserve your tool and select your trade-in date and location.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges? Do stress and anxiety seem to dominate your thoughts? At Peaceful Mind Solutions, we understand that navigating mental health can be daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Our team of compassionate therapists is here to guide you on your journey toward inner peace and emotional well-being. With a client-centered approach, we tailor our therapy sessions to meet your unique needs and goals. Whether you’re struggling with depression, coping with trauma, or simply seeking personal growth, we provide a safe and supportive space for healing and growth.
Embark on a path of self-discovery with our comprehensive range of therapy services, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, and holistic approaches. Our experienced therapists are dedicated to helping you cultivate resilience, develop coping skills, and foster a greater sense of self-awareness.
Free Irish Music Concert
Welcoming Spring with music from the Emerald Isle, the New Dominion Choraliers offer a FREE concert on Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Presbyterian Church of Dale City.
Joined by Legacy Brass and members of Old
Spring Ceili: An Irish Music Festival
The New Dominion Choraliers of Prince William County and McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance invite you to join them at our Ceili, a grand celebration of Irish music and dance.
A gathering of performance groups throughout Prince William County
