Years of debate, review, public comment, rallies, and compassionate pleas have come down to the two decisions facing the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.

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“For those members of the public wishing to speak on any of the rezonings, signups will begin in person at 8 a.m. in the atrium of the McCoart Building. The building will open at 8 a.m. and members of the public will not be allowed to sign up before 8 a.m. Those wishing to speak remotely may sign up online and must sign up before 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.”

The Board of County Supervisors will meet at 10 a.m. to hear two rezoning cases for the long-debated Prince William Digital Gateway. It will clear the way for nearly 900 acres of data center space next to Manassas National Battlefield Park if approved. The site of the first major Civil War battle, a total of 532,727 visited the park in 2022.

If constructed, Prince William County would have more data centers than anywhere else globally, taking the title from neighboring Loudoun County.

Prince William Times: “The Prince William Board of Supervisors will take up its most controversial data center vote yet on Dec. 12, one that could make the county the data center capital of the world.”

“The project, known as the Prince William Digital Gateway, proposes 37 data centers spread among 1,760 acres in western Prince William on land adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield Park. Because of its location, as well as its enormous size, the project has been controversial since it was first proposed back in early 2021.”

Prince William Virginia: "The Board of County Supervisors concurred with the County Executive’s decision to appoint Washington Stern, whose appointment is effective Feb. 5, 2024."

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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.

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: “Prince William County Supervisor Jeanine Lawson on Tuesday held a press conference calling for Pete Candland, her former board colleague, to be investigated for public corruption.”

“Lawson, a Republican who is running for chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in the upcoming Nov. 7 election, shared emails Candland exchanged with a local data center developer to offer his services as a former elected official to help companies “navigate their projects” through Prince William County’s land-use approval process.”