What is the issue with data centers in northern Virginia?

[RandySF]

The future of data center development across Prince William County remains uncertain in the aftermath of contentious primary races for chair of the Board of County Supervisors that placed their proliferation front and center.

Deshundra Jefferson, a political outsider who has criticized tech development in the county, stunned the political landscape by defeating well-financed incumbent Ann Wheeler, a data center proponent, in the Democratic primary for chair. Republican Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, another data center critic, easily secured her party’s backing in the nominating contest.

Regardless of which candidate carries the election in November, it seems certain that new leadership will take a decidedly different tack toward data center development than the current board, which set its sights on ambitious tech projects in recent years to boost commercial tax revenue in the county.

Since 2019, when Wheeler was elected chair, Prince William has nearly doubled its tax revenue from data centers, which now accounts for a substantial portion of the county’s core commercial tax base, according to data provided by the Prince William County Department of Economic development.



https://www.insidenova.com/news/prince_william/an-uncertain-future-for-data-centers-in-prince-william-following-primaries/article_9de135aa-1c12-11ee-bccc-f37873d0fb4d.html

[honest.abe]

1. They are monstrousities and dominate the landscape.

Last edited Tue Jul 18, 2023, 09:16 AM - Edit history (1)

We were thinking of moving to that area because houses are more affordable but got really turned off by the data centers everywhere. They look like massive prisons. Not sure if that is why others don’t like them.

[Best_man23]

2. The data centers are springing up like rabbits

Many of them were constructed along route 28, which goes up to Loudoun county, which is one of the wealthiest counties in the country. They have also been going up along route 234, which cuts through Prince William County and is a byway between I-66 and I-95. The areas where the route 234 data centers have been built is close to Manassas and roads going out to Fauquier County, which is more rural.

In many cases, they've taken up areas that were previously either green space or farm land. When Mrs. Best and I moved here in 2010, one of the things we loved about driving down 234 was the green space.