STAFFORD Va. — Stafford supervisors will meet today to decide how far the county should go in tightening rules for data centers, after weeks of public outcry and sharp division on the board.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a 5 p.m. work session focused exclusively on data centers. The discussion follows an overflow hearing earlier this month where residents warned of health and environmental threats from the projects, while supervisors split over how strict to make new rules.
Residents urged stronger protections from the surge of large-scale data center proposals. Concerns included diesel generator pollution, well water contamination, and damage to county roads. “Your job is to protect your constituents, not the companies and their lawyers,” said Jeff Eastland of the Rock Hill District.
Dr. Amanda Harvey, a public health professional, called the scale alarming: “Sixteen applications totaling over 16 million square feet isn’t progress, it’s an environmental catastrophe.”
Supervisors generally agreed new guardrails are needed but differed sharply on details. Monica Gary (Aquia) called for 1,500-foot setbacks from homes and additional protections for streams, childcare centers, and nursing homes. Darrell English (Hartwood) supported that position, asking to extend generator restrictions and add soundproofing.
Others urged caution. Vice Chairwoman Tinesha Allen (Griffis-Widewater) pushed for clearer language, while Chairman Deuntay Diggs emphasized that decisions should be rooted in science, not “misinformation circulating in mailers and online articles.”
The board voted 4–3 to delay action until today’s session, where supervisors are expected to refine proposals before advertising them for public hearing.
Erin Sanzero, of the non-profit Protect Stafford, told Potomac Local News the county must balance opportunity with caution. “Developers are going to follow whatever we put in writing,” he said. “But the county also has to make sure those rules are realistic, enforceable, and competitive with our neighbors. If Stafford sets the bar so high that no one can meet it, those projects and tax revenues will just go somewhere else.”
County spokesman Andrew Spence said officials want to make the process more transparent. “The Board has expressed a commitment to enhancing transparency and accessibility by consolidating relevant information on data centers into a centralized resource,” he said. “This initiative is currently underway.”
The work session will be held at the Stafford County Government Center.
