Press release: “Former Congressman Frank Wolf, who successfully protected the Manassas Battlefield from over-development in the late 1980s, will be joining Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, candidates Bill Woolf and John Stirrup, for a press conference to support Supervisor Lawson’s Resolution 23 [Monday July 10, 10 AM, Manassas National Battlefield].”
“The resolution would prohibit contentious land-use votes during the lame duck period of November 7th through December 31st. The intent of the resolution is to ensure that decision-makers are held accountable to voters, creating confidence and trust in our Board, while also guaranteeing decisions regarding data center development are in line with the will of Prince William County’s residents.”
“Ahead of Monday’s press conference, Congressman Frank Wolf said, “The fight to preserve our battlefields and open spaces is not a new one, but it is an important one. I’m coming to speak on Monday because our leaders need to step up and do more to preserve Prince William County’s beautiful landscape.”
“Lame duck resolutions are common policies among counties within this region. Both Fairfax and Stafford counties have a long-standing practice of implementing this policy during election years. In previous years, Supervisor Lawson has brought forth similar resolutions, and many previous Boards have taken up these resolutions.”
Lawson, a Republican, is running against Democrat Deshundra Jefferson for Prince William Board of County Supervisors At-large chair. Lawson is part of the current Republican minority which, in the past year, has opposed the proliferation of server farms in the county.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors meets at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, 2023, to vote on Lawson’s resolution. Here’s the meeting agenda.
In November 2022, the Prince William County Supervisors voted to amend its comprehensive plan to allow up to 27 million square feet of data centers to be built next to Manassas National Battlefield Park. Lawson, and Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega opposed the vote. Former Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland abstained from the vote before stepping down from the Board of Supervisors the next month.
