Prince William County Supervisors will again take up the long-debated Devlin Tech Park during its next meeting on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
Stanley Martin Homes seeks to rezone 270 acres from PMR, Planned Mixed Residential, to M-2, Light Industrial, to allow for the development of multiple 60 to 80-feet tall data centers and power substations to power the server farms at the corner of Linton Hall and Devlin roads in Bristow.
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“During the event, Lawson indicated Deshundra Jefferson, the Democratic chair-elect of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Deshundra Jefferson, was cooperating with her to mitigate the Devlin proposal, which is headed to the board Nov. 28 for a vote.”
Insidenova.com: “Members of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors are keeping quiet about their stance on the divisive PW Digital Gateway data center proposal now that it’s been thoroughly rejected by two lower entities that issue recommendations on land-use legislation.”
“After more than 20 hours of discussion and public comment that began Nov. 8 and ended the following day, the Planning Commission voted to recommend supervisors deny the project.”
The Devlin Technology Park is back on the front burner.
For data centers, Stanley Martin Homes aims to rezone 270 acres at Linton Hall and Devlin roads from residential to industrial.
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In a marathon meeting that lasted more than 20 hours at the county government center in Woodbridge, the commission recommended denying two companies — QTS Data Centers and Compass Data Centers — the ability to build 23 million square feet of data center space in what’s become known as the Prince William Digital Gateway.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will have the final say on the project at a meeting on December 12, 2023. A majority of Democrats on the board support the measure.
During hours of public comment, residents voiced concerns that. The massive data center corridor would bring increased electricity rates and taxes.
Residents were also not convinced that the data centers would bring in the higher tax revenues for the county, all of which had been promised by the companies. Most were not against the concept of data centers, but their impact on the climate crisis, strain on infrastructure, and cost to the residents were all problems that were repeatedly spoken about.
Earlier this month, the Prince William County planning staff also recommended denying the companies the ability to build on the land. County planners have spent the better part of a year reviewing the plans.
Following the denial, QTS and Compass submitted last-minute changes to the plans.
Coles District Planning Commissioner Joseph Fontanella, Jr. said elected leaders who support the data center project pressured planners to recommend approval of the plans.
In his comments during the meeting, Fontanella the integrity of the staff needs to be protected, and pressure should not be applied to staff by impossible deadlines. It is also unfair to the applicant whose application does not get a thorough review, which could ultimately end in denial.
Many who live on the land on which data centers could be built stand to make millions by selling their properties to data center firms. Occoquan District Commissioner Raheel Sheikh was moved by comments made by the Davis family trying to sell their land. Sheik voiced concern that they were not being given the right to sell their land as they chose without having hurdles put in their way.
Sheik also expressed his approval of the diversity of citizens who attended and made comments in the public hearing.
If the Board of County Supervisors approves the development next month, it will clear the way for data centers on 2,e00 acres of land next to the Manassas National Battlefield, an area about 15 times larger than Potomac Mill mall in Woodbridge, to construct new server farms that power the internet.
“For those members of the public wishing to speak on any of the rezonings, signups will begin in person at noon in the atrium of the McCoart Building. Members of the public will not be allowed to sign up before noon. Those wishing to speak remotely may sign up online here and must sign up before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023.”
Insidenova.com: “In a stunning rejection of the largest data center development in county history, Prince William County staff on Friday issued recommendations that the Planning Commission deny all three rezonings associated with the divisive PW Digital Gateway.”
“County documents show staff suggested that the Planning Commission recommend to the Board of County Supervisors to not approve two rezoning requests by QTS Realty Trust Inc. — Digital Gateway North and South — and one by Compass Datacenters, which combined are aiming to build 23 million square feet of data centers on roughly 2,100 acres along Pageland Lane in western Prince William County near Gainesville.”
“Commissioners will render recommendations on the two rezoning requests by QTS Realty Trust Inc. and another by Compass Datacenters in one meeting on Nov. 8, a day following the 2023 general election.”
Prince William Times: “It’s been 18 months since residents of Great Oak, a 291-home subdivision south of Manassas, began to hear the mind-numbing noise—a low-pitched roar topped with a tinny screech—from a complex of Amazon data centers next door. Now, after many meetings with Amazon and costly engineering work, the data center operator has managed to reduce the sound by 10 decibels—cutting its loudness in half.”
“The work is not done. Residents say the screechy part of the noise remains, and Amazon is working on that too. But overall, things are quieter in the tidy, tree-lined streets of Great Oak.”
