Spotsylvania Planning Commission approves mega data center complex

The Spotsylvania County Planning Commission has voted 4-2 to recommend the approval of a 555-acre data center campus, the Crossroads Technology Campus, in the Lee Hill area for Amazon Web Services. This decision comes despite significant opposition from local homeowners, including Catherine Williams, Cindy Staats, and Jennifer Child, who voiced concerns about proximity to homes, noise from backup generators, decreased property values, and environmental impacts on the currently wooded site. The proposed project includes multiple buildings and three substations.

In response to resident efforts, the project now includes over 50 conditions, such as a minimum 300-foot vegetated buffer. However, residents like Kelly Shaeffer are advocating for the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors to impose a moratorium on data center developments, expressing worries about fast-tracking and contradictions with the county's comprehensive plan.

Charles Payne, attorney for developer Kettler, asserted that the Crossroads project sets a high standard for data center developments in the Commonwealth, citing extensive mitigation measures, community responsiveness, and an estimated $8 billion investment projected to generate $30+ million in annual tax revenues for the County. The project, which involves Amazon as a cloud operator, is slated to move to the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors for a public hearing and final vote. The article also touches on discussions around Spotsylvania County's comparatively low data center tax rate ($1.25 per $100 assessed value) compared to neighboring counties like Loudoun, where Supervisor Kristen Umstattd champions higher rates for increased local revenue.