STAFFORD, Va. – A surge of public opposition to large-scale data center development dominated the May 20, 2025, Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting, leading county leaders to unanimously order a full review of the rules governing these rapidly expanding facilities.
Following more than an hour of impassioned public comment, the Board adopted Resolution R25-141, directing the Stafford County Planning Commission to revisit and potentially strengthen data center performance standards first enacted in 2023.
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STAFFORD, Va. – The Stafford County Board of Supervisors narrowly approved a $2.95 million warehouse purchase on Blackjack Road, siding with school officials who say the facility is essential to meet the district’s growing infrastructure needs, despite concerns from some supervisors who argued the deal was rushed and overpriced.
In a 4-3 vote, the board passed Resolution R25-105, authorizing Stafford County Public Schools to use leftover funds from its FY2024 budget to buy the building at 42 Blackjack Road. The warehouse currently houses several school division operations, including IT storage, bus driver training, and nutrition services. School leaders say owning the space will end the need to rent it and provide a long-term solution as the division grows.
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STAFFORD, Va. – Concerns over development, infrastructure, education, and environmental protection took center stage at a packed town hall meeting held Tuesday, April 29, at Colonial Forge High School. The meeting brought together Board of Supervisors Chair Deuntay Diggs, Supervisor Tinesha Allen, and School Board members Maureen Siegmund and Maya Guy, who answered questions from roughly 60 residents over two hours.
Development Pressure: Attain at Stafford Draws Scrutiny
One topic that sparked debate was the proposed Attain at Stafford, a mixed-use development that would bring 300 apartments and over 57,000 square feet of commercial space near Stafford Hospital. Though the Planning Commission approved the rezoning request earlier this month, the project still awaits a final vote by the Board of Supervisors.
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STAFFORD, Va. — Stafford County Public Schools officials are asking the Board of Supervisors to approve a $2.95 million property purchase for warehouse and training space currently used by the school division.
The request was discussed during a Board of Supervisors work session on April 22, 2025. Chris Fulmer, Deputy Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer for Stafford County Public Schools, said the division has leased the Blackjack Road facility for the past three to four years. It houses school nutrition services, furniture and technology storage, and a training site for school bus drivers and attendants.
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STAFFORD, Va. — The average homeowner in Stafford County will pay $130 more in property taxes starting July 1, 2025, after the Board of Supervisors approved a three-percent increase to the real estate tax rate—the county’s central funding source for local government and schools. Homeowners with a property assessed at the county average of $434,400 will receive a $4,069 bill.
According to data from Commissioner of the Revenue Scott Mayausky, average residential tax bills have increased 62% since 2012, when the typical homeowner paid $2,506. Over the same period, the average home value rose nearly 60%, slightly trailing the pace of tax increases.
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The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted 5-2 on April 1, 2025, to approve a conditional use permit (CUP) for the construction of a solar energy facility on a 36-acre parcel located at the southeast corner of Enon Road and Truslow Road in the Hartwood District.
The applicant, Enon Road Solar Farm and its representatives from Energy Systems and Applications (ESA), sought approval for two items: the CUP to operate a solar facility in the A-1 Agricultural zoning district, and authorization for the county to enter a decommissioning agreement.
The facility will occupy approximately 12.7 acres of the parcel, with solar panels grouped into two separate fenced areas. The remainder of the land, roughly 20 acres on the western side of the property, is designated as a conservation area that will remain undeveloped. The site includes intermittent streams and existing vegetation, which will be preserved where possible. A single entrance from Enon Road will provide access to the facility.
Staff from the Department of Planning and Zoning reviewed the application and noted that while the site is located within the county’s Urban Services Area, the proposal aligns with specific criteria in the county’s comprehensive plan that allow for solar facilities in such locations. Those criteria include limited site visibility, avoidance of wetlands and mature tree cover, and compatibility with surrounding rural land uses.
The applicant also submitted a request to reduce the required 50-foot landscape buffer along the eastern property line. The board ultimately voted to maintain the full 50-foot buffer in accordance with the Planning Commission’s original recommendation.
Conditions attached to the permit include fencing and landscape requirements, height limits for solar panels, noise mitigation standards, and a requirement to provide emergency access and training for local fire and rescue personnel. Construction activities will be limited to specified hours, and a $167,000 decommissioning bond will be posted to ensure proper removal and restoration at the end of the facility’s operational life.
The Planning Commission previously voted 4-3 in favor of the project on February 26, 2025.
The Board also approved, by a 5-2 vote, a decommissioning agreement between the county and the developer. The agreement outlines financial and procedural responsibilities for removing equipment and restoring the land when the facility ceases operations.
Public comments at the meeting reflected a mix of support and opposition. Supporters highlighted the project’s alignment with clean energy goals and its limited physical footprint, while opponents cited concerns about visual impact, potential effects on nearby properties, and long-term land use changes.
The votes approving both the conditional use permit and the decommissioning agreement concluded the county’s formal review of the project.
Stafford County’s George L. Gordon, Jr. Government Center is set to undergo major renovations following a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The $1 million project will expand and modernize the building’s main lobby and make critical upgrades to the Board of Supervisors’ meeting chambers. The Board approved a work order with Centennial Contractors Enterprises, Inc. to carry out the renovations, which are expected to take about eight months and conclude by the end of the year.
Originally constructed in 1990, the Government Center at 1300 Courthouse Road serves as the hub for numerous county departments and state-supported offices. While individual offices have seen updates over the years, the main entryway and lobby have remained largely untouched since the building opened.
“This project will improve both the safety and functionality of the building for staff and visitors,” said officials in the agenda summary. “It also reflects recommendations from the County’s physical security study conducted in 2021.”
Planned renovations include extending the lobby space, creating a new Customer Information Center, and adding an enclosed workspace for County volunteers and sheriff’s deputies. Other improvements include new floors, lighting, and HVAC systems, along with ADA-compliant upgrades and enhanced security features such as exterior bollards.
Inside the Board Chambers, work will focus on replacing flooring and refurbishing the audiovisual room’s HVAC unit to ensure continued comfort and performance during public meetings. These improvements are scheduled to occur during the Board’s summer recess to minimize disruption.
The Government Center will remain open throughout construction, and County staff will coordinate public signage and communications with the Community Engagement team.
The renovations are part of the County’s FY2023 budget, which included $2.53 million in funding for this multi-phase capital improvement project. The approved first phase totals just over $1 million.
A shakeup is underway in Stafford County politics. Longtime Falmouth District Supervisor Meg Bohmke announced she will not seek reelection, while School Board Member Maya Guy declared her candidacy for the Aquia District seat on the Board of Supervisors.
During the April 1, 2025, Board of Supervisors meeting, Bohmke, who has served 12 years on the board and four years previously on the school board, said she is stepping away from public office.
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The Texas-based travel center giant Buc-ee’s is moving ahead with plans to build its first Virginia location in Stafford County. It has submitted formal requests to rezone nearly 35 acres of land to pave the way for a massive fuel and retail complex off Interstate 95.
The proposed Buc-ee’s would sit near the intersection of Courthouse Road (Route 630) and Austin Ridge Drive, just east west of I-95 Exit 140. Plans submitted to the county show a 74,000-square-foot convenience store and gas station with 120 fuel pumps, 24 future EV charging stations, and dozens of bus/RV parking spaces.
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Dozens of Stafford County residents packed the chambers Tuesday night during a special-called meeting of the Board of Supervisors to weigh in on the proposed $1.015 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget — and the tax increase that may come with it.
The meeting featured a detailed budget presentation by Chief Financial Officer Andrea Light, followed by a public hearing where residents delivered emotional appeals both for and against the proposed increase in the county’s real estate tax rate.
