Fredericksburg City Council Archives - Page 2 of 5

Published February 14, 2025 at 2:55PM

Fredericksburg City Hall

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg City Council Appoints Susanna Finn to Ward 3 Seat Amid Transparency Concerns

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 13, 2025 at 5:14PM | Updated February 13, 2025 at 10:15PM

Finn takes the oath of office. [Photo: Fredericksburg City Government]

The Fredericksburg City Council has appointed Susanna Finn to fill the vacant Ward 3 seat following the resignation of Dr. Timothy Duffy earlier this year. The decision was made during a Special Session Meeting on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at 2 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Judge Gordon Willis, Presiding Judge of the Fredericksburg Circuit Court, administered the Oath of Office.

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Fredericksburg

Petition Seeks Release of Applications, Notes Related to Fredericksburg City Council’s Ward 3 Vacancy

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 13, 2025 at 10:11AM

(FXBG Advance) – A Fredericksburg resident has filed a petition asking the Circuit Court to compel the release of applications, notes, and interview questions related to the recent Ward 3 vacancy and to block Council from holding closed meetings to discuss matters related to filling the vacancy.

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Fredericksburg

‘Snowmen Against Data Centers’: Protesters Push Back on Fredericksburg Development

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 12, 2025 at 11:36PM | Updated February 13, 2025 at 10:14AM

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 “Snowmen Against Data Centers” 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.

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg City Council’s Process for Filling Ward 3 Seat Questioned

By Uriah Kiser

Published February 10, 2025 at 10:16PM | Updated February 13, 2025 at 10:17PM

The process Fredericksburg City Council is following to fill the vacant Ward 3 seat could conflict with state code—especially with a provision added last year that states that governing bodies must publicly announce the names of those being considered to fill a vacant seat at least seven days before the appointment is made.

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Data Center Debate Heats Up: Concerns Grow Over Transparency and Environmental Impact

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 29, 2025 at 4:55PM | Updated February 13, 2025 at 10:50AM

Fredericksburg City Hall

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.

Hamilton Palmer, a Fredericksburg resident, raised alarms about the transparency of the decision-making process. At the meeting, Palmer expressed frustration over the council’s handling of the issue, particularly regarding releasing information about the proposed data centers. “There has been little effort by the city to engage the public on data centers until this past year,” Palmer said, emphasizing that many residents are still unclear about the full scope of the projects and their potential impact on the community.

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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg defends ‘deliberate pace’ of data center pursuit during public input session

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 24, 2025 at 2:00PM

A majority of the residents who spoke during Wednesday’s public input session about Fredericksburg’s proposed Technology Overlay District acknowledged or even supported the city’s pursuit of data centers.

Rather, it’s 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, Fredericksburg’s 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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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg City Council Advances Plan to Create Data Center Technology District Amid Accelerated Timeline and Public Debate

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 21, 2025 at 10:56AM

Fredericksburg City Hall

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 city’s 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.

“This is a critical opportunity for Fredericksburg to position itself as a competitive player in the tech industry,” said Mayor Kerry P. Devine. “By concentrating development in a single campus-like district, we can ensure infrastructure is used efficiently while minimizing environmental and community impacts.”

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Fredericksburg

What’s On the Agenda? Fredericksburg City Council Meets January 14, 2025

By Kelly Sienkowski

Published January 14, 2025 at 6:00AM | Updated January 14, 2025 at 9:43AM

Fredericksburg City Council

The Fredericksburg City Council will meet on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. The council’s work session begins at 5 p.m., and their regular session begins at 7:30 p.m.

The regular meeting will be streamed live, and the agendas for both meetings has been posted online.

During the 5 p.m. work session, the council will hold a planning commission interview and then discuss the proposed technology district overlay with the planning commission. City staff presented plans for a 250-acre technology district at a December 10, 2024 council meeting. The district will be located in Celebrate Virginia South, parallel to the Rappahannock River.

After two public meetings in October, the council voted on October 23 to amend the city code in order to allow data centers within most commercial zoning districts in the city. The purpose of the district is

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Fredericksburg

Will Data Centers Change Fredericksburg Forever? City Invites Public Feedback

By Uriah Kiser

Published January 7, 2025 at 2:07PM

Fredericksburg City Hall

The Fredericksburg City Council has announced a series of public meetings and work sessions as it considers approving the city’s first data centers within a newly proposed Technology Overlay Zoning District (TOD). The meetings aim to gather public input and provide transparency as the city plans to encourage high-technology industrial development in Celebrate Virginia South, next to the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball stadium.

While the council is promoting data centers as an opportunity for economic growth, concerns from local activists and experts highlight potential challenges, including environmental and community impacts.

A recent report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) warns that if data center development in Virginia continues without constraints, the state’s energy demands could triple. The report emphasizes that meeting these increased demands would necessitate the construction of additional energy facilities, including renewable sources like solar and offshore wind, as well as natural gas plants. Specifically, JLARC estimates that a new natural gas plant would need to be built approximately every one and a half years to keep pace with the energy consumption of unconstrained data center growth.

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