Police and local government officials are preparing for one of the most anticipated public meetings in recent years, as the Board of County Supervisors will decide to allow data centers on 2,100 acres next to Manassas National Battlefield.
It's the largest land-use case in county history, larger than 150 Walmart Supercenters, and 15 times larger than the area of Potomac Mills mall. It's also proven to be one of the most contentious, as the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, and will last into the early morning hours of the following day.
The county posted the map above of its government center at 1 County Complex Court off Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge to show visitors where to find parking and handicapped parking. Handicapped parking and a limited number of public parking spaces will be available in front of the McCoart Building, where Supervisors meet.
Most attendees will need to park at lots on the east side and on the backside of the McCoart Building, including Pfitzner Stadium, the former home of the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball team.
The county also anticipates multiple news crews on-site during the meeting, and the map shows where they should park. Government officials prohibited tents on the property.
The doors to the McCoart building will open at 5:30 p.m. Police will close the doors when the building reaches its 440-person occupancy.
Residents who want to address the Board of County Supervisors may sign their names to a speaker sheet at 5:30 p.m., two hours before the meeting start. Visitors will find the sheets in the atrium at the McCoart Building.
After making their comments, speakers are encouraged to leave the building to make room for new speakers. Residents who want to speak from home may use this link until 5 p.m. Monday, October 31, to sign up to speak virtually.
The county government is petitioning the Board of County Supervisors to amend its comprehensive plan and rezone the land from rural to industrial, clearing the way for the Prince William Digital Gateway.
Supporters say the data center (server farms that power the internet) will bring more tax revenue for schools and other local government services. Opponents urge Supervisors to delay the decision on the project, saying clear-cutting so much land in a rural area will lead to more stormwater and pollutants flowing into the Occoquan Reservoir, the drinking water source for 1.5 million people in Fairfax and Prince William counties.
The Fairfax Board of County Supervisors urged Prince William officials to tap the brakes on the plan and study the existing pollutants in the reservoir and how to mitigate future pollutants from data center development in western Prince William.
Planning Ahead: November 1, 2022, Board of County Supervisors Meeting
What time will the meeting begin? The November 1, 2022, Board meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. The public hearing on #CPA2021-00004, PW Digital Gateway Plan, is the only item on the agenda. pic.twitter.com/4GsNNZAznF -- Prince William County (@pwcgov) October 27, 2022
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Due to inclement weather, all Prince William County courts will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. This includes:
Circuit Court
General District Court
Juvenile District Court
Residents are encouraged to check pwcva.gov/ei for updates on other closures and additional information.
Following Monday evening’s winter storm, school divisions across the region have announced closures for Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to hazardous road conditions and ongoing winter weather concerns. Below is a roundup of closures and policies for the affected school systems:
Prince William County Public Schools
All schools and offices will be closed Code Red on Tuesday. Inclement Weather Employees are the exception and should follow their assigned schedule.
Stafford County Public Schools
Schools will be closed on Tuesday due to adverse weather and an extended winter storm warning. All activities and events scheduled for the day are canceled. Tuesday was originally a professional learning day, so students were not scheduled to attend.
Manassas City Public Schools
Schools and offices will be closed Tuesday. Code BLUE is in effect for employees.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools
Schools will be closed, and buildings will remain closed as crews work on clearing parking lots and sidewalks. Essential personnel will be contacted by their supervisors for report times.
Manassas Park City Schools Closure for Tuesday, January 7, 2025
All Manassas Park City Schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to snowy conditions. **Code RED** is in effect for employees.
King George County Schools
Schools will be closed Tuesday. Code 1 is in effect for 12-month employees.
Fairfax County Public Schools
All schools and central offices will be closed on Tuesday.
University of Mary Washington
All UMW campuses, including Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Dahlgren, will be closed all day Tuesday following the January 6 snowstorm.
Stay tuned for updates on reopening plans and further weather developments. Stay safe!
More as we get them.
The Manassas City Council meeting originally scheduled for January 6, 2025, has been postponed to Monday, January 13, 2025. The meeting will feature the swearing-in of elected officials, administered by the Honorable Jacqueline Smith, Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, who won re-election in November 2024, will take the oath of office for her second term. Joining her will be Councilman Tom Osina, beginning his second term; Councilman Mark Wolfe, embarking on his fourth term; and newly elected Councilwoman Ashley Hutson, serving her first term on the council. All four ran as Democrats in the 2024 election.
Manassas Park Resident Jose Rafael Lizama pled guilty Friday, January 3, 2024, to felony Involuntary Manslaughter stemming from a December 2, 2023 crash where Lizama admitted to striking and killing pedestrian Justin Burns, 39, of Blackstone, Va.
Lizama
Lizama appeared with an interpreter, and his lawyer stood before Judge Angela Horan and took responsibility for the 11 p.m. crash in front of Old Towne Sports Pub in Manassas.
During Lizama’s preliminary hearing in May 2024, Prosecutors presented evidence, including a nearby homeowner’s security camera footage that caught Lizama’s van traveling at a high rate of speed, striking Burns as he crossed the street in an unlit area of Center Street.
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Experience the passion and drama of Puccini’s “The Girl from the Golden West”.
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