Fort Meade officials tour facilities in Virginia's 'Data Center Alley'
Fort Meade city commissioners toured data center facilities in Virginia's "Data Center Alley" five months after approving a hyperscale data center development agreement for their city. The trip aimed to gather information on noise and water usage, which have been points of contention for local residents opposing the project. Opponents criticized the timing of the tour, arguing it should have occurred before the project's approval.
Fort Meade city commissioners, including Vice Mayor Petrina McCutchen and Commissioners Candice Lott, Matthew Taylor, and Jim Watts, along with City Manager Troy Bell, traveled to Virginia's "Data Center Alley" to tour operational data centers. The visit, which also included representatives from the Central Florida Development Council and Stonebridge, the company developing Fort Meade's data center, took place in late September.
The tour followed the City Commission's 5-0 vote in April to approve a development agreement with Stonebridge for a 4.4 million-square-foot data center on a reclaimed phosphate mine. The commission also approved necessary land-use and zoning changes in 2025. Commissioners stated the trip was informative, with Watts emphasizing the need to evaluate each project individually and address resident concerns about power generation, noise, water, and emergency response. Taylor reported that technological advancements have largely mitigated issues like noise and water consumption, with facilities using closed-loop cooling systems.
However, the trip drew criticism from local opposition groups and environmental advocates. Raul Alfonso, leader of Watchdogs of Fort Meade, called the tour a "waste of time" since it occurred after the development agreement was already approved. Christina Reichert, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, echoed this sentiment, noting that commissioners should have conducted such research before making decisions on the proposed hyperscale AI data center. Stonebridge has pledged to use closed-loop water systems, and the development agreement obligates the city to provide 50,000 gallons of water daily.
The officials noted that they observed low noise levels during the tour, even at sites near residential areas, contradicting concerns raised by opponents. The information gathered from the tour is expected to aid commissioners in addressing questions at an upcoming town hall meeting scheduled for October 19.