A new agreement between the City of Fredericksburg and its public school system will open school gymnasiums and facilities to the public, expanding access to recreation programs for children, teens, and families.
On Tuesday night, City Council unanimously approved a shared-use agreement with Fredericksburg City Public Schools that gives the Parks, Recreation, and Events Department expanded access to school buildings, including the former Walker-Grant School, now Gladys West Elementary.
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Fredericksburg City Manager Tim Baroody presented the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget proposal to the City Council on March 11. The proposal outline a $136.75 million spending plan to strengthen public schools, upgrade infrastructure, and ensure long-term financial stability.
The proposal includes a three-cent real estate tax increase to fund these initiatives, bringing the rate from $0.77 to $0.80 per $100 of assessed value. This tax hike is expected to generate additional revenue while helping to fund essential services such as a new middle school, a fire station, and water system upgrades.
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Fredericksburg is set to enhance public safety by acquiring a vehicle barrier system to protect attendees at outdoor events from potential vehicle-borne attacks. The measure will be voted on at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, following the acceptance of a $250,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) through the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP).
The barrier system is intended to prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering pedestrian areas during significant community events, including the Downtown Christmas Parade, Festival of the Streets on July 4th, the Farmers Market, and FXBG Pride.
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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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Finn, an urban planning professional and Chair of the Fredericksburg Planning Commission, brings a decade of experience in city planning and holds a certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners. She also has an educational background in historic preservation from the University of Mary Washington.
âFredericksburg, and particularly Ward 3, is where my family and I have planted our roots, grown, and thrived,â Finn stated in a press release. âI am excited about the bright future of our city and confident that with genuine collaboration, we can overcome challenges and enact positive solutions.â
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(FXBG Advance) â 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.
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.
A staff report presented at the meeting outlined the city’s rationale for the Technology Overlay District, emphasizing its potential for economic development while balancing environmental concerns and urban planning considerations.
The report detailed discussions on the environmental impact, including protections for the Rappahannock River, increased setbacks from residential areas, and proposed water usage restrictions. Additionally, concerns were raised about noise levels from emergency generators, electricity availability, and impacts on the existing trail network. The proposal also includes measures to promote green energy initiatives and climate goals while ensuring that the development aligns with the cityâs broader comprehensive plan.
Environmental and Transparency Concerns
Leading the protest effort was Alexanna Hengy, a local activist and outspoken critic of the proposed comprehensive plan amendment that would allow for constructing a data center next to a nursing home and the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball stadium.
âWeâre 100% against it,â Hengy said. âThe data center campus would at least double our cityâs energy use, making it impossible for us to meet our climate goalsânot just as a city, but as a planet.”
Hengy and the coalition argue that the environmental impact of the proposed data center cannot be ignored. Data centers require vast amounts of electricity, which is still derived from fossil fuels.
âTheyâre trying to build this data center only about 120 feet from apartment buildings and a nursing home,â she said. âThat poses a direct health risk to our most vulnerable residents.â
Beyond environmental concerns, Hengy and her fellow activists have expressed frustration with Fredericksburg’s city leaders’ lack of transparency and accountability.
âIn August, we attended a city council meeting where they were supposed to vote on spending $200,000 on a feasibility study for the data center,â Hengy explained. âWe showed up, but midway through the meeting, they said they didnât need to vote anymore because they were just going to take the money from the Economic Development Authority instead.â
Despite assurances that this was just a study and that construction was years away, Hengy alleges that city officials soon after began quietly laying the infrastructure for the project. Additionally, she criticized the city for not disclosing the developer behind the project, though through independent research, activists believe it to be Stack Infrastructureâa company with ties to the city’s Economic Development Authority.
âThe process has been fast-tracked, which is not their usual procedure,â Hengy said.
Panel Discusses Future of Data Centers in Fredericksburg
As community debate over the Technology Overlay District continues, a panel discussion on January 29 at the Dorothy Hart Community Center examined the potential impact of data centers in the region. Sponsored by Friends of the Rappahannock and other advocacy groups and covered by the Fredericksburg Free Press, the event brought together environmentalists, engineers, commercial developers, and city officials, including Fredericksburg Mayor Kerry Devine.
Key Takeaways from the Discussion:
- Economic Growth vs. Environmental Impact: Panelists acknowledged the growing demand for data centers due to AI and digital expansion. If approved, the proposed site at Celebrate Virginia South could generate up to $60 million in tax revenue annually. However, critics argue the increased energy consumption would undermine the cityâs goal of being fossil fuel-free by 2035.
- Energy Demand and Sustainability: Experts noted that renewable energy alone cannot meet the power demands of large-scale data centers, meaning facilities will likely rely on natural gas. âThe big question is: Where are we getting the power?â said Daren Shumate, an engineering consultant.
- Zoning and Development Concerns: While the proposed Technology Overlay District would allow data centers as “by-right” developmentsâeliminating the need for special-use permits or public hearingsâno official project has been approved yet. Another potential data center site near the Hylton Track and Gateway Blvd has not been formally proposed to city staff.
The discussion highlighted ongoing concerns over transparency and environmental protections, though Devine argued that revenue from data centers could help the city meet its climate goals.
The following public hearing on the Technology Overlay District is scheduled for February 25, 2025, City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall and will be streamed online.
(FXBG Advance) â The process Fredericksburg City Council is following to fill the vacant Ward 3 seat could conflict with state codeâespecially 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.
