The King George County Planning Commission deferred action on three public hearings regarding a 356-acre data center campus in the State Route 3 West settlement area during a meeting last week.
The commission will discuss the project again at its May 13 meeting, with the height of the buildings expected to be one of the primary topics.
The applicant, Green Energy Ventures (GEV), wants to rezone four parcels from Agricultural Preservation to Industrial. If rezoned, GEV will request a special exception to construct a data center campus and ask for more than one access point to a roadway. Each of those actions requires a public hearing.
At the most recent hearing, residents flocked to voice their displeasure about the potential project. They cited concerns regarding water and power consumption, noise levels and disrupting the rural character of the county.
One county resident, Debbie Fairfax, said she wants to know the end user of the project.
“Who are we left to deal with in King George?” Fairfax said. “I’m not really convinced [GEV] would invest this much time and energy and money without a fish on the hook. So, I would like to know what fish that is.”
There was also an organized effort to support the project from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who showed up in blue shirts and spoke about the need for jobs in the area.
While many of the IBEW members are from surrounding counties, they said it would greatly impact their quality of life if they’re able to work closer to home. This data center project is expected to create 1,236 permanent jobs and more than 19,000 temporary jobs during construction, according to a presentation from the county planning department.
“I was traveling 2 ½ hours to Ashburn and 3 ½ to four hours home,” said King George resident Tara Gutridge, a member of the IBEW. “I have a 9 and a 6-year-old at home. The commute was taking time from my family. To bring this data center into King George would really keep me close to home, so I’m not losing time with my children while they are growing up.”
But fellow King George resident Justin Green said the data center would be an eyesore — in the line of sight from his home on Route 3. Green said he would have a “direct view” of the campus from his front yard. He’s concerned about lighting disturbing his family, added traffic in the area and a “humming noise” that is often associated with the facilities.
“Put yourselves in the shoes of a homeowner,” Green said … “Having a project this size, not only in your front yard, but will also cause safety and quality of life issues.”
GEV proffered 18 acres of the site back to the county, with its application stating that the land could be used for a park, wastewater treatment facility or another public use.
The company proposed no more than 7.2 million square feet of data center buildings on the property with no more than 2.5 million square feet in the first phase. It proffered to dedicate a right-of-way across Bloomsbury Road frontage at 60 feet from the centerline and a right-of-way across Route 3 frontage at 100 feet from the centerline.
When it receives its first building permit, GEV would pay $2.1 million to be used by the county fire department to purchase an aerial ladder truck that could reach the height of the buildings, which have limits of 65 feet for two stories and 90 feet for three stories. GEV is also offering $100,000 to help train county public safety personnel.
A security fence no lower than eight feet would enclose the developed area.
No potable water would be used to cool data center equipment. If water and sewer become available through the King George Service Authority, the development would connect to that. At full buildout, the project is expected to generate $18.6 million per year in tax revenue and more than $560 million over 30 years.
County staff found that the project “is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan in terms of development type (industrial), location (triangle of State Routes 3, 665 and 605) and transportation (right-of-way dedication).”
After the planning commission makes its recommendation on the project, it will then be taken up by the board of supervisors for final approval or denial. The 10-person commission meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the board room of the Revercomb Building (10459 Courthouse Drive).
