It’s rare for elected officials to speak about happenings outside their jurisdiction.
That’s why, this week, when the Fairfax Board of County Supervisors urged the Supervisors in neighboring Prince William County to pump the brakes on the county’s most significant economic development project in its history — the Prince William Digital Gateway, with 2,100 square feet acres for new data centers, an area 15 times the size of Potomac Mills mall — the action made the news.
This week, Fairfax County provided Prince William County with a “very strong” letter that encouraged Prince William to consider completing a water study of the Occoquan Reservoir before considering amending the county’s comprehensive land use plan and allowing data centers to be built next to Manassas National Battlefield Park, Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity told Potomac Local News.
Supervisors have already approved a water study. However, as it stands now, it will only be done after leaders are scheduled to make their decision on Tuesday, November 1. The study, headed by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, could take a year or more to complete.
Prince William County Supervisors Jeanine Lawson and Yesli Vega on Friday urged Supervisors to delay their decision, which has already been postponed about a month following “confusion” over the project.
Both counties share the reservoir, which provides drinking water to 1.5 million poeple in Northern Virginia. Project opponents fear clear-cutting trees in the rural area next to the hallowed ground to build data centers will lead to more sediment, stormwater runoff, and ultimately pollution in the reservoir during construction and after the data centers’ operation.
Those who support the Prince William Digital Gateway say it will increase local schools and county government tax revenue by increasing the commercial tax base while taking the tax burden off homeowners. Unlike Fairfax County, which has multiple Fortune 500 companies, Prince William’s largest employer remains its public school division, with Walmart stores not far behind.
Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity urged his fellow Board members to ask Prince William County to hold its vote until the water study was completed. It didn’t work, and Jeff McKay, Fairfax Board of County Supervisors Chairman At-large, penned in an email that Herrity’s action was “politically motivated.”
Herrity disputes that claim, telling Potomac Local News on Friday, October 28, that it’s “common sense” to complete the study and to protect the watershed. McKay did not respond to our request for comment.
Overall, Herrity is hopeful that Prince William County Supervisors will take heed. Here’s Herrity in his own words in an email to Potomac Local News:
There is a study that the PW Board has approved. It is a regional model that will be done through the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) so the region will be working together on it. The problem is that it will take some time to run the model and the PW Board will be required to vote on many of the rezonings before the study is done. Va state law requires rezonings to be heard with in 12 months of submission and some have already been submitted. So rezoning decisions will be done before the study is complete if the Comp Plan amendment is passed before the study is done. The damage will already be done.
On the letter – the one that was approved asked them to consider the impacts before the entitlements/rezonings. I moved to ask for a study of impacts before the Comp Plan was approved for the reasons included below. That motion was supported by Supervisors Alcorn and Lusk (the ones with Planning Commission experience). That amendment failed and the unamended letter passed unanimously. Not what we wanted but better than nothing.
The good news:
- The Fairfax County staff letter to Prince WIlliam County staff is very strong and encourages Prince WIlliam to complete their analysis on a number of important issues before they consider the Amendment.
- The Fairfax County Board did agree to send a letter to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors raising our concerns, however it was not as strong as the letter I had proposed to send.
- Almost every Supervisor indicated significant concerns with the Amendment and agreed with the need to conduct study and analysis.
The not so good news:
- The Fairfax County Board rejected my motion to add language that the concerns be addressed before they consider the Amendment. The motion died on a 7-3 vote with Supervisors Alcorn, Lusk and me supporting the motion to conduct the reviews prior to Amendment approval.
- The Board letter is not in alignment with our county staff recommendation to conduct the reviews before considering the amendment.
- Conducting the reviews during the rezoning process fails to recognize the fact that:
- It is difficult to reject something once it is in the Comprehensive Plan – for instance once the Plan includes access to sewer, you cannot deny a project because it needs/wants sewer.
- In Virginia rezonings are required to be heard within 12 months and some of the rezonings have already been submitted, leaving little time for review.
I am hoping our efforts will have an impact on the Prince WIlliam Board and they will take up studies before they consider/approve the Amendment.
I will continue to press for a full analysis of the issues impacting the Occoquan Watershed and the potential impact to the water supply for so many Northern Virginians.
