As Fredericksburg leaders debate the future of data center development, longtime local observer and former city councilor Matt Kelly says the conversation is about more than land use or tax revenue. It’s about how decisions are made — and whether residents are being fully informed along the way.
Kelly shared his views during a recent interview with Potomac Local News, recorded in the wake of the Fredericksburg Planning Commission’s unanimous rejection of the proposed Gateway Data Center.
“The data center discussion really forces the city to confront questions it’s been able to avoid for a long time,” Kelly said, pointing to infrastructure, power demands, and long-term planning.
Data centers and scale
Kelly said one of the central issues with large data center proposals is scale — not just the size of the buildings, but the scope of their impact.
“These aren’t small, incremental changes,” he said. “Once you commit to this type of development, you’re locking in infrastructure, power use, and land use decisions for decades.”
He noted that while data centers are often pitched as quiet neighbors with strong tax benefits, the demands they place on transportation networks and electrical systems can be substantial.
City politics and decision-making
Kelly also raised concerns about how major development proposals move through City Hall, saying residents often feel they’re reacting rather than participating.
“There’s a sense that a lot of this happens before the public ever hears about it,” he said. “By the time it reaches a public meeting, the framework is already in place.”
He said the Planning Commission’s vote rejecting the Gateway proposal highlighted unease among commissioners about unanswered questions and long-term consequences.
“It wasn’t just one issue,” Kelly said. “It was a collection of concerns that never really got resolved.”
The role of local journalism
Kelly said moments like these underscore the importance of local journalism — especially coverage that goes beyond meeting headlines and dives into context and process.
“When people don’t have reliable local reporting, they fill in the gaps themselves,” he said. “That’s when misinformation spreads, or people lose trust altogether.”
He added that long-form interviews and detailed meeting coverage help residents understand not just what decisions are made, but why.
“That’s how you build an informed community,” Kelly said. “You need someone in the room, asking questions, and explaining what’s actually happening.”
Watch the full conversation
Kelly’s comments were part of a longer conversation covering data centers, Fredericksburg politics, and the challenges facing local newsrooms.
Watch the full interview with Matt Kelly on the Potomac Local News channel – PLN on YouTube, where he expands on the Gateway Data Center debate and shares his thoughts on how local communities can stay engaged as Fredericksburg grows.
