Mackintosh outlined the cityâs long-term planning efforts, which date back to 2018 when Fredericksburg began setting tax rates and policies to align with neighboring jurisdictions. With Northern Virginia running out of space, developers have turned their attention south, making Fredericksburg a prime target for new data center development.
Officials have proposed a Technology Overlay Districtâa designated 250-acre area in Celebrate Virginia South, near Wegmans and the Fredericksburg Nationals stadium to ensure that data centers fit within the city's framework. This district will allow data centers by right if they meet strict environmental and design regulations.
âWe didnât want to be reactive to data center proposals,â Mackintosh said. âWe wanted to set the terms ahead of timeâwhere it makes sense and under what conditions.â
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On Wednesday night, the Fredericksburg Planning Commission voted 4-3 to reject a proposed Technology Overlay District (TOD) that would have allowed data centers and technology-focused development in Celebrate Virginia South, near the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball stadium. The motion to approve the district failed by a 4-3 vote, and a second motion recommending that the City Council require Special Use Permits (SUPs) for data centers instead passed by the same margin.
The vote came after a lengthy public hearing in which residents, environmental advocates, and commissioners raised concerns about transparency, environmental impact, and infrastructure readiness.
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In a unique and chilly demonstration, residents of Fredericksburg gathered Wednesday to protest a proposed data center development near the Rappahannock River by building snowmen.
Organized by the Rappahannock Community Coalition, the âSnowmen Against Data Centersâ rally took place just one day after nearly 10 inches of snow blanketed the region. The snowmen were erected on the Mary Washington University Campus, City Hall, and a house off Harrell Road in Stafford County.
The protest comes on the same day of the Fredericksburg Planning Commission meeting, where commissioners took up a proposal to endorse a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, a Zoning Map Amendment applying the Technology Overlay District, and a Zoning Proffer Amendment â which would clear the way to build the city's first data center. The city council announced it would pursue the data center on an "accelerated" timeline in December but has yet to disclose which firm would develop the project.
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Correction: This new data center is near Unity Reed High School, near Manassas. An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported Patriot High School.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors has approved a 24-acre rezoning for a new data center development along Wellington Road, despite opposition from Supervisor Bob Weir and concerns about its proximity to Unity Reed High School.
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The ongoing debate over the construction of data centers in Fredericksburg took center stage during the City Council meeting on January 28, 2025, with residents and council members expressing mounting concerns about the potential environmental consequences and the lack of transparency in the approval process.
At the heart of the controversy is the city's aggressive timeline for approving zoning changes and facilitating the development of new data centers. Local residents have voiced their concerns about the environmental impact of such large-scale projects, particularly in areas close to residential neighborhoods and natural resources like the Rappahannock River. While proponents argue that data centers could bring significant economic benefits, critics worry that the city is rushing to approve projects without fully understanding or addressing the long-term consequences.
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Once thought to be on its way out, Dominion Energyâs Possum Point Power Station near Dumfries is now expanding operations to meet rising data center power demands, Insidenova.com reports.
The 75-year-old facility currently burns natural gas and diesel fuel, generating around 660 megawatts of energy, which powers about 170,000 homes.
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The Virginia House of Delegates Subcommittee of the Cities, Counties, and Towns Committee rejected a bill that sought to regulate the siting of data centers near schools, parks, and residential areas. Delegate Ian Lovejoy (R-22, Prince William County) presented HB1984, which would have required local government approval for data center developments only if they were located at least a quarter mile away from such properties. The subcommittee voted 8-0 to âlay the bill on the table,â effectively killing it.
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A majority of the residents who spoke during Wednesdayâs public input session about Fredericksburgâs proposed Technology Overlay District acknowledged or even supported the cityâs pursuit of data centers, reports the Fredericksburg Free Press.
Rather, itâs the terms and timetable governing said pursuit that comprised most of their questions asked during a joint meeting of the Planning Commission and City Council.
More than one speaker noted that adjacent jurisdictions, such as Stafford County, have taken up to six months from initiating the public process to voting for a data center. By contrast, Fredericksburgâs city council first discussed a Technology Overlay District in detail on Dec. 10 and could vote on related resolutions and ordinances as early as its Feb. 25 meeting.
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The Fredericksburg City Council took a significant step toward attracting data center development on Monday, January 14, by voting unanimously to initiate amendments to the cityâs 2015 comprehensive plan, unified development ordinance (UDO), and zoning map. The proposed changes aim to establish a Technology Overlay District (TOD) that would designate roughly 250 acres in the city as a site for data centers and related uses near the Fredericksburg Nationals stadium.
Currently, the city does not have server farms like those sprouting up in surrounding jurisdictions, such as Stafford, Spotsylvania, Prince William, and King George counties. Unlike their neighbors, the city has far fewer acres of land to devote to the sprawling tech campuses.
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Prince William Times â "Landowners who want to sell their properties for the Prince William Digital Gateway data center development and are suing Prince William County over their higher real estate tax bills were recently dealt a blow in court when a judge ruled against their case.
But they might have a Plan B, thanks to a bill sponsored by state Sen. Jeremy McPike."
