Prince William Supervisors to Decide on 1,940-Acre Data Center Proposal Tuesday
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is set to vote on initiating a comprehensive plan amendment that would reclassify 1,940 acres of land from agricultural to industrial, paving the way for a large data center campus. County planning staff have recommended against the proposal, citing concerns about infrastructure, environmental impacts, and land-use compatibility. The vote follows the withdrawal of two major data center developers from a previously approved, but controversial, digital gateway project in the county.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is scheduled to vote on Tuesday regarding a significant comprehensive plan amendment. The request, submitted by Sanders Lane Assemblage I LLC, proposes to reclassify approximately 1,940 acres in the Gainesville Magisterial District from Agriculture and Forestry and Mixed-Use Hamlet to Industrial. This change would enable the development of the Dulles South Innovation Center, a large data center campus that could include an electrical substation and related facilities.
This new proposal emerges after QTS Data Centers and Compass Data Centers recently withdrew from the previously approved Prince William Digital Gateway, a 27-million-square-foot data center complex that faced extensive opposition and ongoing legal challenges. The Digital Gateway project, approved in November 2022, was designed to accommodate multiple data centers on agricultural land.
County planning staff have reviewed the Dulles South Innovation Center request and recommended against its initiation. Their report highlights critical concerns regarding infrastructure capacity, including the lack of public water and sewer services, and the environmental impact of extending these systems through rural land. Staff also cited significant tree loss, negative impacts on rural character, and incompatibility with surrounding agricultural areas. The potential full buildout could result in 43 million square feet of data center space and a dramatic increase in daily traffic volumes.
Opposition groups, including the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, plan to rally before the Board meeting. Executive Director Elena Schlossberg expressed worries about residents competing with corporations for power and exposure to noise and emissions from diesel generators. U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, state Sen. Danica Roem, and Del. Josh Thomas are expected to speak at the rally, emphasizing the widespread concern over data center development in the region.