The proposed Bristow Campus data center project, slated for consideration by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on November 19, 2024, has been deferred.
Gainesville District Supervisor Bob Weir noted that the applicant may have anticipated a lack of support for the project. “I think they know they don’t have the votes,” said Weir. It’s unclear when supervisors may take up the case.
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair, at-large Deshundra Jefferson, is on the mend after having had surgery for Crohn’s disease. This chronic inflammatory bowel condition has affected her health over the past two years.
Now two weeks post-surgery, Jefferson reports feeling “pretty good” and looks forward to resuming her duties full-time, including attending Zoom meetings and tackling a backlog of emails next week. Despite her temporary absence, Jefferson is grateful for her colleagues, especially Supervisor Boddye, who stepped up in her absence, as well as her staff, friends, and supportive 16-year-old son. “These things are kind of frightening until you actually go through them,” she shared, noting the relief of finally addressing symptoms that had worsened over the past few months.
It’s time to do what’s best for Prince William County and move forward with the Digital Gateway. Approved by the Board of County Supervisors in December 2023, the Digital Gateway’s implementation has been slowed due to legal proceedings meant to stop it despite years of discussion, debate, and public hearings that led to approval by the Board of County Supervisors.
Opponents are focused on burdening our legal system with proceedings to challenge the Digital Gateway’s approval even though the Prince William courts have already dismissed one case with prejudice because it lacks merit. Today, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors will ask the County Circuit Court to dismiss another lawsuit filed by a former State Senator that would halt the Digital Gateway Project.
A proposal to build three new Amazon data centers along Ashton Avenue near the Manassas Mall was shelved indefinitely ahead of the Oct. 22 Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting during which it was scheduled to be discussed.
The server farm will be one of four in Manassas and will have three buildings. Post says that the construction has caused significant issues for his business. “The blasting has caused our sprinkler standpipe to shift in the ground, and a truck damaged our portico. It has cost me $2,900 in repairs,” he said. “There have been instances where the blasting has disrupted funeral [ceremonies]. During a funeral, a minister was giving a eulogy, and without any warning, they let off a giant explosion. Then, the fire alarm went off right after the blast and sounded throughout the funeral.”
Despite these challenges, Post says that the city has been largely indifferent to the struggles of existing businesses in the area. “It seems like the new city leadership is letting the data centers walk all over us,” he noted. “The old leadership would never have allowed this to happen. They understood the importance of protecting local businesses while managing growth.”
Prince William County is navigating challenges as it seeks to balance the growing demand for data centers with its aspirations for technological innovation and education, particularly around the George Mason University SciTech Campus.
This dynamic was discussed at the Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting on September 10, when leaders and stakeholders expressed concerns over how the expansion of data centers could impact the county’s economic growth potential, particularly at the college’s Innovation District, outside Manassas.
Tonight, August 20, 2024, at 5 p.m., the Stafford County Board of Supervisors will meet at the county government center, located at 1300 Courthouse Road in Stafford, to deliberate on a significant land use amendment. The proposal under review aims to rezone over 500 acres of land on Eskimo Hill Road, near the Rappahannock Regional Landfill, to facilitate the construction of a large data center complex.
If approved, the request would transition the zoning from A-1, Agricultural, to M-2, Heavy Industrial, allowing for the development of a data center campus envisioned to encompass approximately 5.8 million square feet across 23 buildings. The development also includes plans for public facilities and utilities.
