Stafford County Planning Commission recommends denial of data center after cemetery concerns
The Stafford County Planning Commission recommended denying a data center project, the Potomac Creek Campus, due to significant concerns about a historical cemetery on the proposed site. While commissioners acknowledged the location's general suitability, the potential need to relocate graves, including those of enslaved individuals, was a major factor. The county's Board of Supervisors will make the final decision.
The Stafford County Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend the denial of key components for the proposed Potomac Creek Campus data center project. The decision on Wednesday night followed extensive discussions over two meetings regarding the historical significance of a 99-acre parcel, specifically the presence of a cemetery containing both marked Seddon family burials and unmarked graves believed to belong to enslaved individuals.
Cultural Resources Specialist Nancy Kotting reported significant community concern from descendants regarding the development. Commissioner Willie Shelton Jr. emphasized his concern about the "desecration of any graveyard," stating that placing a data center on a graveyard was "not apropos." While project attorney Mark Looney indicated the applicant would be open to relocating the cemetery, which would require a judge's decree, this did not sway the commission.
Despite the denial recommendation, some commissioners, including Chairwoman Kristen Barnes, acknowledged the site's general suitability for data centers, given its proximity to the approved Stafford Technology Campus. Public speakers also voiced concerns, with Jeff Eastland of the watchdog group Protect Stafford raising broader environmental issues associated with data centers. Erin Sanzero, president of Protect Stafford, reiterated that while the location is pragmatic, the project's success hinges on meaningfully addressing the concerns raised by staff, the commission, and the public.