Environmental groups push back against possible data center deal

Fairfax County is proposing to sell about 42 acres of land in Chantilly, Virginia to Starwood Capital Group for around $167 million. The land is currently used for Fairfax County Police training. Local environmental groups are raising concerns about the potential sale and the possibility of a future data center being developed on the site. They want to know more about the environmental implications of such a project and what other options were considered for the land. The groups also want the county to be more transparent about the sale process. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed land sale for March 17th. The county maintains that there is currently no proposal for a data center on the site, and that the sale itself does not automatically approve plans for one. However, the environmental advocates are worried about the precedent the sale could set and are calling for the county to be more thoughtful about how it disposes of publicly-owned land.