- Thursday, June 18, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Courthouse Community Center, Room A, 29 Stafford Avenue, Stafford, VA 22554.
- Monday, June 22, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Stafford High School, 63 Stafford Indians Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22405.
The sessions come as the county continues to review multiple data center applications, a hot-button issue for many residents concerned about infrastructure strain, noise, visual impacts, traffic on roads like U.S. 1 (Richmond Highway) and Kings Highway, and the county’s rural-suburban character.
Ongoing Data Center Proposals
Active or recently active proposals include the Eskimo Hill Technology Center (south of Eskimo Hill Road, east of Potomac Creek Drive in the Falmouth Election District), proposing roughly 680,000 square feet of data center space on about 142 acres.
The Planning Commission recently recommended denial of the related Potomac Creek Campus nearby due to concerns about a historic cemetery on the ~99-acre site, which is proposed to include up to 975,000 square feet.
Farther west, the Forest Lane Data Center proposal involves rezoning nearly 845 acres near the intersection of Kings Highway and Forest Lane in the George Washington Election District. It is one of more than a dozen data center applications in the county’s recent pipeline.
Five major projects, including the large Stafford Technology Campus along Eskimo Hill Road and U.S. 1 in the Falmouth area, are grandfathered under the 2025 ordinance updates and will move forward.
What Is the Comprehensive Plan and Why Does It Matter
Virginia law requires localities to maintain a Comprehensive Plan (often called the “Comp Plan”) as a 20-year vision for land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, and environmental protection. Stafford’s current plan covers 2016–2036, with the 2021 update and ongoing 2026 revision.
It is not a zoning law but serves as the key policy guide. Future rezonings, development proposals (including data centers), road projects, and public investments must be consistent with the plan. Key sections address land use designations, growth within the Urban Services Area, and specific guidelines for data centers on siting, noise, visual impacts, buffers, and utilities.
Residents should care because the plan will shape daily life for decades: traffic, school capacity, water and power demands (critical for data centers), property values, tax burdens, and preservation of historic and natural areas in a rapidly growing county. Data centers bring significant tax revenue but also raise questions about fiscal impacts, electricity and water use, and compatibility with nearby homes and communities.
Public participation is critical. Attend the meetings, submit comments online at staffordcountyva.gov/compplanupdate, or review materials on the county’s Planning and Zoning website. Input can now influence policies that balance economic growth with quality of life.
