By Tom Coyle
Bristow
It seems clear to us that, as a group, our local elected leaders in Prince William County appear to be struggling to make decisions regarding the long-term strategic use of a scarce resource — our land.
Such land use decisions are critical to ensuring our county will be one that continues to attract new residents and new businesses and retains the current attributes that attracted current residents to move here.
The single issue of large data centers in proximity to residences is a complex one that crosses into hotly debated topics such as taxable revenue, open space and zoning use, and increased pressure to balance green space use and residential growth.
Although the various zoning laws, layover grids, etc., can be confusing and even contradictory, what’s clear is that no one, either elected or County Staff, seems to have heard of Moore’s Law. And if they have, they have failed to take it into account as it applies to these large buildings now popping up throughout our county, large parts of which are rural or semi-rural.
Moore’s Law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years. Moore’s Law is an observation and projection of a historical trend. Rather than a law of physics, it is an empirical relationship linked to gains from experience in production.
It is understood the interior of these centers consists mainly of computer servers and racks, which, if we apply Moore’s Law, will shrink in size and thus need less space to operate. What happens in 10 or 20 years when the requirement for these 500,000 square foot buildings is no more? What incentive can our county offer a private company to continue to occupy a space that is not needed in order to operate and make a profit?
Why would they wish to occupy a 500,000 sqaure-foot space when, due to said law, they would only need a quarter or less of that space? Who do the citizens then turn to to raze the building and restore the area to its original nature?
All the extra tax monies from these centers will not make up for the permanent scarring of our county. Why can’t we analyze best practices from other municipalities around the country and then apply the best of those to use as a framework?
Has any elected official, or county staff, examined the second and third-order effects of approving the construction of these buildings and thus degrading one significant reason citizens move to Pricne William – high quality of life
We implore our county-elected leaders to slow down and demand a thoughtful, factual review of these proposals from staff. If we don’t have the expertise in-house, then hire a well-respected national company to conduct it.
There is no rush to carefully consider all aspects of this issue, given the lasting impact it will have for years to come. Perceived short-term gains (more money in our county coffers) we believe defines false economy and reminds us of the family cat being happily distracted by that new shiny object right in front of her to the exclusion of anything else.
We hope the elected leaders in Prince William County will reflect for a moment on why they ran for office in the first place: to help enrich the lives of the citizens they serve by thoughtful and informed decisions affecting all of us for generations to come.
According to the National Weather Service, we’re under flood watch beginning at 3 p.m.
…FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS
EVENING…* WHAT…Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
* WHERE…DC and portions of Maryland and Virginia, including the
following areas: the District of Columbia. In Maryland, Anne
Arundel, Calvert, Carroll, Central and Southeast Howard, Central
and Southeast Montgomery, Charles, Frederick MD, Northern
Baltimore, Northwest Harford, Northwest Howard, Northwest
Montgomery, Prince Georges, Southeast Harford, Southern Baltimore
and St. Marys. In Virginia, Albemarle, Arlington/Falls
Church/Alexandria, Culpeper, Eastern Loudoun, Fairfax, Greene,
King George, Madison, Nelson, Northern Fauquier, Orange, Prince
William/Manassas/Manassas Park, Rappahannock, Southern Fauquier,
Spotsylvania, Stafford and Western Loudoun.* WHEN…From 3 PM EDT this afternoon through this evening.
* IMPACTS…Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– Showers and thunderstorms will develop this afternoon and may
last into the evening. Any thunderstorms will be capable of
producing very heavy rainfall, with localized totals of two
to four inches possible. Much of the rain may fall within a
one to three hour period, making rapid rises in creeks and
streams possible, as well as flash flooding in urban areas.
– http://www.weather.gov/safety/floodPRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
Here’s the full forecast:
This Afternoon
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 92. South wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Low around 73. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
A recent report in Loudoun Now states Dominion and Loudoun County officials are working to solve an issue that has led to the power transmission problems.
According to Dominion Energy spokesman Aaron Ruby, the problem in Loudoun affects a small portion, Ashburn, hindered by a lack of transmission infrastructure to power new data centers. Loudoun officials say they are concerned that the issue may stall the development of new power-hungry data centers and server farms that power the internet.
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During the 29 drawings of the jackpot run that began in April and ended with Friday night’s $1 billion drawing, sales of Mega Millions tickets in Virginia generated an estimated $30.2 million in profit. By law, all of that profit goes to K-12 public education in the Commonwealth.
While the overall winning ticket was not sold in Virginia, in Friday night’s drawing alone, more than 405,000 Mega Millions tickets bought in Virginia won prizes. That includes four tickets that matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball number. Normally that wins $10,000, however, one of those players spent an extra dollar for the Megaplier when they bought the ticket. The Megaplier doubled that prize to $20,000.
The $20,000 winning ticket was bought online at valottery.com.
The three $10,000 winning tickets were bought at:
- 7-Eleven, 13821 Heathcote Blvd. in Gainesville
- Wawa, 510 West Shirley Ave. in Warrenton
- Sheetz, 15 Wyche Road in Stafford
Of those 405,000 winning tickets bought in Virginia for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing, more than 64,000 were bought online at valottery.com.
The winning numbers in the Friday, July 29, drawing were 13-36-45-57-67, and the Mega Ball number was 14.
Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11 p.m. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24. Prizes start at $2 and increase all the way to the jackpot.
Drinking water consumed by Prince William County residents received a clean bill of health.
The Prince William County Service Authority recently published its 2022 Water Quality Reports, which provide essential information about the source and characteristics of the utility’s drinking water. The EPA requires the annual reports available on the Prince William Service Authority’s website.
The report from the Prince Wiliam Service Authority outlines data from 2021, the most recent regulatory period. It details the number of regulated substances, like fluoride, barium, and metals in the water and the amount of chlorine used to disinfect the water supply.
“The Service Authority is meeting all required testing, all federal guidelines, and the water is considered safe to drink,” said John DeRosa, regulatory officer for the Prince William Service Authority.
Each of the Service Authority’s four distribution systems – East, West, Hoadly Manor, Bull Run Mountain, and Evergreen – has its own Water Quality Report.
Except for drinking water in the Bull Run Mountain and Evergreen communities, the drinking water distributed by the Service Authority is sourced from the Potomac River, Occoquan Reservoir, and Lake Manassas.
While most of the drinking water the Service Authority provides to customers is treated at facilities owned and operated by Fairfax Water, many customers in the county’s western end receive some water treated at the City of Manassas Water Treatment Plant.
Customers in the Bull Run Mountain and Evergreen communities receive their water from six public groundwater wells located throughout the area.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Virginia Waterworks Regulations require all water utilities to produce annual water quality reports.
Meanwhile, the Service Authority is working to identify the source of PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the water supply. While lower than many other water systems at nine parts per trillion (EPA suggests a limit of 70 parts per trillion), the utility is working to find the source of the pollutants.
PFAS is a class of more than 6,000 artificial chemicals used to manufacture various industrial and household products designed to resist heat, water, oil, and stains. Many products are made with PFAS, including non-stick cookware, food packaging, degreaser, personal care products, and water-resistant apparel.
The chemicals enter the water system through stormwater runoff. De Rosa says they’re expensive to remove through water filtration processes like reverse osmosis.
“The levels are so low here, it’s difficult for our technology to detect them,” said DeRosa.
Service Authority customers with questions about water quality or who want a printed copy of their Water Quality Report may contact the Service Authority’s Regulatory Affairs Office at 703-331-4162 or [email protected].
After much back and forth with lawyers representing Sheetz gas stations, the Board of County Supervisors approved a new fueling station and convenience store to be built at Interstate 66 and Route 29 at Gainesville Crossing. It will be the first retail development in a new complex next to a 1,000-space commuter lot.
Micheal Vanderpool of the Manassas-based law firm Vanderpool, Frostick and Nishanian, P.C., representing developer Buchanan Partners, said the Sheetz is the perfect project in an ideal location. Vanderpool petitioned the Board of County Supervisors for a Special Use Permit, a document required before Sheetz could build a planned drive-through lane outside the convenience store, and install gas pumps.
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Its grand opening celebration in 2017 was closed to the public and drew several high-profile business leaders and county officials. The county's economic development office heralded it as a win for the region as it began working to lure data center companies from neighboring Loudoun County, which has the highest concentration of data centers globally.
According to permit data published by the Prince William County Department of Development Services, Iron Mountain will build a $6 million addition to its campus at 11680 Hayden Road, just off Wellington Road near Gainesville.
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Bill Wright
Gainesville
Citizens were recently treated to two more mind-numbing episodes in the surreal story of the Prince William Digital Gateway.
The July 13 Planning Commission meeting featured an exchange where Gainesville commissioner Rick Berry asked acting Planning Office Director Rebecca Horner why there was a work session scheduled to discuss the proposal when neither the Comprehensive Plan update nor the overlay district review was complete.
Ms. Horner’s incredulous reply was, “They [the Supervisors] did not require that type of analysis.” Why is the Prince William Digital Gateway jumping the line to be considered ahead of reviews that ought to precede it?
The following evening, the Planning Office hosted a virtual discussion on the Camoin report that they seem to believe validates all their preconceived notions.
When asked when the County would release detailed information on the land and expected capacity for data centers under development, Director of Economic Development Christina Winn said that non-disclosure agreements protect information.
Is that a joke?
Is she really telling us that information essential to evaluating the necessity for the Prince William Digital Gateway will be withheld from public review and scrutiny at the behest of private corporations that stand to profit from public ignorance?
Unbelievable.
What is driving the contrived urgency to push the Prince William Digital Gateway proposal forward in this illogical sequence? Whose armored car is double-parked outside?
Stop the embarrassment and suspicion surrounding this troubling proposal until the Planning Office can get its act together and its story straight.
Potomac Local News occasionally writes editorials and accepts opinion-based letters to the editor on local issues. Readers may email letters.
As thunder rolled during a summer storm on Tuesday, July 12, residents gathered outside the county government center demanded Wheeler, the highest elected county official, resign from office or face a recall campaign. It's the second call for resignation in as many weeks for a member of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.
According to Wheeler's 2021 financial disclosure, the Chair listed a 300% increase in purchased stock compared to 2020 in nine data center firms. One of them, Blackstone, Inc., is pushing the Board of County Supervisors to rezone more than 800 acres next to the Manassas National Battlefield Park to build a data center campus.
