Join

Opinion: Extra tax money from data centers will not make up for the permanent scarring of our county

Marilyn Karp, a long time activist in the Democratic Party leads residents gathered at the Prince William County Government Center to call for Board of Supervisors Chair At-large Ann Wheeler (D) to resign after she dumped $50,000 of stock in data center firms.

By Tom Coyle
Bristow

It seems clear to us that, as a group, our local elected leaders in Prince William County appear to be struggling to make decisions regarding the long-term strategic use of a scarce resource — our land.

Such land use decisions are critical to ensuring our county will be one that continues to attract new residents and new businesses and retains the current attributes that attracted current residents to move here.

The single issue of large data centers in proximity to residences is a complex one that crosses into hotly debated topics such as taxable revenue, open space and zoning use, and increased pressure to balance green space use and residential growth.

Although the various zoning laws, layover grids, etc., can be confusing and even contradictory, what’s clear is that no one, either elected or County Staff, seems to have heard of Moore’s Law.  And if they have, they have failed to take it into account as it applies to these large buildings now popping up throughout our county, large parts of which are rural or semi-rural.

Moore’s Law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years. Moore’s Law is an observation and projection of a historical trend. Rather than a law of physics, it is an empirical relationship linked to gains from experience in production.

It is understood the interior of these centers consists mainly of computer servers and racks, which, if we apply Moore’s Law, will shrink in size and thus need less space to operate.  What happens in 10 or 20 years when the requirement for these 500,000 square foot buildings is no more?  What incentive can our county offer a private company to continue to occupy a space that is not needed in order to operate and make a profit?

Why would they wish to occupy a 500,000 sqaure-foot space when, due to said law, they would only need a quarter or less of that space?  Who do the citizens then turn to to raze the building and restore the area to its original nature?

All the extra tax monies from these centers will not make up for the permanent scarring of our county.  Why can’t we analyze best practices from other municipalities around the country and then apply the best of those to use as a framework?

Has any elected official, or county staff, examined the second and third-order effects of approving the construction of these buildings and thus degrading one significant reason citizens move to Pricne William – high quality of life

We implore our county-elected leaders to slow down and demand a thoughtful, factual review of these proposals from staff.  If we don’t have the expertise in-house, then hire a well-respected national company to conduct it.

There is no rush to carefully consider all aspects of this issue, given the lasting impact it will have for years to come.  Perceived short-term gains (more money in our county coffers) we believe defines false economy and reminds us of the family cat being happily distracted by that new shiny object right in front of her to the exclusion of anything else.

We hope the elected leaders in Prince William County will reflect for a moment on why they ran for office in the first place: to help enrich the lives of the citizens they serve by thoughtful and informed decisions affecting all of us for generations to come.

Recent Stories

WUSA9 story about data center fliers in Prince William County school children’s lunches removed from station website

The shooting that occurred earlier today [May 26, 2023, at 2:24 PM, in the 14700 block of Birchdale Avenue in Dale City] is now being investigated as a double homicide.

Stafford County Sheriff’s Office: “Shasta Place, 5/25, 8:32 p.m. Deputies J.J. Suh and D.L. Brookman, Jr. responded to a disturbance in the apartment complex. Once parties were separated and the…

Miss Virginia Volunteer 2023, Kate Clatterbuck, will be making a special appearance in Manassas on Sunday, May 28, 2023.

From Sunday, May 14 through Tuesday, May 16, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will be on the National Mall to host the Celebration of Construction on the National Mall from 9:00am – 5:00pm with construction equipment and technology on display for the public to experience.

The event will span the National Mall from 9th to 14th Streets NW. This free public event is a unique opportunity for families with young children and anyone who wants to see the equipment building the world’s infrastructure. From excavators to bulldozers to paving equipment – it’ll be a fun event for everyone!

Visit the link here to learn more details about the event.

Submit your own Community Post here.

Every Sunday from May until November, the Dale City Farmer’s Market offered to donate their leftover fresh produce to the North Virginia Food Rescue to help those struggling with hunger.

The Dale City Farmers Market has been serving its local community since 1987. It is one of the largest open-air markets in the area. Their first donation last May was over 3,300 lbs of produce. That single donation provided 2,825 meals to food insecure communities.

Since that time, they have completed 28 food donations totaling nearly 127,000 lbs taken to the food bank by Paxton Van Lines. This provided more than 105,800 fresh meals to those in need.

Read More

Submit your own Community Post here.

Thoroughfare Family Day

THOROUGHFARE COALITION FAMILY DAY CELEBRATION

Oakrum Baptist Church

16419 Thoroughfare Road, Broad Run, VA 20137

Read More

×

Subscribe to our mailing list

15585

Connect to Your Community

Local Headlines Delivered to Your Email Daily