A family cemetery on a site in central Stafford has halted progress on a data center development. On July 7, 2026, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 to defer rezoning and conditional use permit applications for the Potomac Creek Campus project pending an archaeological investigation and report.
The deferral includes a time extension to October 31. It followed public comments and board discussion on the need to address the cemetery before land disturbance.
Mark Looney, a partner at the law firm Cooley LLP, told supervisors the cemetery was identified after the property acquisition 20 years ago. Features include tabletops and headstones. Looney outlined Virginia legal requirements for abandoned cemeteries, including delineation via ground-penetrating radar to establish burial limits, buffering, and access for descendants and researchers. Relocation to another location on the property remains an option through circuit court petition. The applicant is open to in-place preservation with buffers.
A Phase I cultural resources study is required for land-disturbing activities across the site, in addition to the cemetery delineation work.
Public speakers addressed the matter. Jeff Eastland noted risks to Potomac Creek resources. Anita Dodd, representing the Stafford County Historical Commission and Cemetery Committee, called proffer language vague and raised concerns about public access on an industrial site. Kim Taylor Wilson of the Architecture Review Board addressed burials. Allison Ozara called for accountability on studies and processes.
Supervisors, including Dr. Pamela Yeung, supported investigation. The board directed that the report be shared with the Historical Commission, Planning Commission, and Board of Supervisors.
Project Details
The Potomac Creek Campus proposal calls for three data center buildings on the parcel south of the Stafford Technology Center, with access via Eskimo Hill Road through an easement. Plans include a substation. The site would feature open space and preservation of acres of trees.
Proffers include building setbacks and vegetated buffers, noise compliance, a fire and rescue contribution, a contribution toward a shared path along the transmission corridor, and a prohibition on primary use of potable water for cooling. Traffic generation is proffered at a cap of vehicle trips per day. The property lies near Potomac Creek.
The applications remain pending further review. The decision addresses data center growth near the airport and transmission infrastructure with protection of county resources.
