Call for data center guidelines

Three years ago, we started voicing concerns about a proposed data center development within the legislative boundary of Prince William Forest Park- Potomac Technology Park. We acknowledged that data centers had a role to play in modern society - many of our programs from the history of the Barnes House to protecting Quantico Creek are available online for anyone to see thanks to data centers that have already been built. But we also recognized that they needed to be properly sited with adequate buffers and set-backs. These siting concerns drove our opposition to projects like the Potomac Tech Park and Prince William Digital Gateway.

Where data centers are located is still important. But with the rapid increase in projects we are seeing, and this industry’s insatiable demand for power, water and land, we are growing more and more concerned about the cumulative impacts of this industry. Impacts on our electric grid, energy bills, water resources, and climate change goals are all of concern. These impacts are felt not only here in Prince William County, but across the state and the globe.

PWDG falls short of the CPA and Zoning Ordinance

 December 11, 2023

Dear Chair Wheeler and Members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors:

We are writing in advance of your public hearing tomorrow on the three proposed “Digital Gateway” rezonings.  At the outset, we wish to emphasize that we strongly oppose all three proposals.  Data centers are a fundamental part of the technology infrastructure that supports the modern economy, and they have a place in Prince William County and other localities in Virginia.  However, given the enormous impacts they can inflict on the surrounding environment and nearby communities, it is essential that they be appropriately sited and scaled.  With its broad array of invaluable historic, cultural, and environmental resources, the landscape immediately west and northwest of Manassas National Battlefield Park is simply an unsuitable location for a data center and technology complex, especially of this massive scale.   

We acknowledge that some of you may disagree, as evidenced by the Board’s adoption of the PW Digital Gateway Comprehensive Plan Amendment (“Digital Gateway CPA”) late last year.  However, we trust that you will fulfill your collective duty to ensure that any rezoning applications proposed in this area: (1) comply with all pertinent requirements of the Virginia Code and Prince William County Zoning Ordinance; and (2) are reasonably consistent with the protections and guidelines in the Digital Gateway CPA.  The three proposals coming before you tomorrow meet neither of those basic marks.

Comments to the Board on PWDG

The following were our comments delivered to the Board of County Supervisors on December 12 in opposition to 3 rezoning applications collectively referred to as the Prince William Digital Gateway.

*** 

I understand that many of you have already formed your opinions on the rezonings we are discussing today. The allure of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue is undeniable. I also acknowledge that this has been a long day, and it's a challenge to ask anyone to remain engaged for such an extended period. Yet, I implore you to pause for a moment. This is not a process to be endured simply to cast a vote at the end. There is wisdom in this process, and there is wisdom in the voices standing up for sustainability and our environment. 

Let's not forget that even with the approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, these proposals are not inevitable.  Fairfax County, for example, took a decisive step by downzoning, - not just replanning, but downzoning 41,000 acres in order the protect the Occoquan reservoir - a decision was upheld by the courts. Here in Prince William County, our primary strategy to protect the drinking water that the eastern end relies on - me included - has been to maintain the rural area that reduces development pressures on the reservoir. 

A Call for Conscientious Consideration: Prince William Digital Gateway Threatens Land, Water, Heritage

MEDIA ALERT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
December 8, 2023

 

A Call for Conscientious Consideration: Prince William Digital Gateway Threatens Land, Water, Heritage 

 

Woodbridge, Virginia – The United Tribes of the Shenandoah, alongside a diversity of community faith leaders, will host a peaceful prayer ceremony on Tuesday, December 12, at 9 AM at the Sean T. Connaughton Plaza located between the James J. McCoart Building and Development Services Building at the county government complex in Woodbridge, VA.  The prayer vigil will precede the scheduled public hearing to consider the Prince William Digital Gateway.

Monitoring the Bluebird Trail at Chinn (2023 season)

by: Rita Romano 

If you enjoy watching nature up close and personal, you would love to be a part of the team that monitors the Bluebird boxes that Prince William Alliance has installed on trails by the Chinn Aquatic & Fitness Center. We start monitoring 14 boxes in early Spring that are intended for Bluebirds, however, we get many Tree Swallows in our boxes as well, and sometimes a Wren. We have a team of 6 people, and we take turns peeking into the boxes twice a week until about mid-August. We have a friendly contest with another team that monitors 12 Bluebird boxes at Merrimac Farm to see which team discovers the first egg!

You never know what you are going to find when you peek in the boxes! Is the box empty, or is there a beginning of a nest? If there is a nest, what kind is it? Each species has special characteristics. My favorite is the Tree Swallow nest because they use feathers from other species to curl over the nest opening.

Sustainability Plan - A roadmap to where?

 

Creating a Sustainability Office and Commission acknowledged the increasing environmental challenges we are facing in Prince William County. Their role in identifying a path forward could support the quality of life for all PW residents, now and in the future. Touted as a roadmap for the county to meet Climate Mitigation and Resiliency goals, the draft Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan (CESMP) document unfortunately falls short. While streamlining rooftop solar in residential areas and reforestation programs (read our comments in support here) are important, it is not sufficient. Any headway we make will be negated if we do not address Data Center proliferation and land use planning that promotes sprawl rather than smart growth.

Rooting for PWC - In support of the Reforestation Grant Program

 

I’m here today to express support for the Public Works Reforestation Grant Program to be included in the upcoming budget. As we are all aware, we are facing several environmental challenges, such as climate change, maintaining water quality, and habitat loss leaving many species vulnerable. However, reforestation can help us address all these issues. 

Forests provide critical environmental services to all residents here in Prince William County. They absorb carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas in the atmosphere contributing to climate change. They clean the air by intercepting particulate matter and absorbing other gaseous pollutants. Additionally, trees help prevent soil erosion and promote water quality. They also provide habitats for various wildlife species, making them an integral part of our ecosystem.

Unfortunately, over the years, we have been losing forests at an alarming rate due to human activities such as deforestation and urbanization. This has had a significant impact on the environment globally and locally. 

While I think it’s also important to protect the forests that we still have, this program would create opportunities to bring back forests that have been lost. Additionally, it would expand current reforestation efforts and provide an opportunity for private, residential, commercial, industrial, and HOA land to qualify that are currently left out of existing programs.

You might think that it’s not necessary to fund such initiatives. You might think, why don’t we just stop mowing and allow natural processes to return lawn to forest? That may have been true a long time ago. Today, however, the prevalence of invasive plant species that thrive in these early successional circumstances means it’s necessary to be active stewards of reforestation efforts until a native ecosystem has a chance to be established. 

This program would provide a critical starting point for native forests to grow and flourish, and would be crucial to a broader strategy to address a wide range of environmental and public health concerns in a cost-effective way. By planting more trees, we can support efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, improve air quality, protect water quality in our waterways and reservoirs, and create habitat for wildlife.