Prince William County Residents Seek 12-Month Pause on Data Center Approvals
Prince William County residents are petitioning for a 12-month pause on data center applications requiring discretionary approval, seeking stronger rules for noise, lighting, setbacks, infrastructure and environmental impacts. The campaign was announced outside an NTT data center complex in Gainesville, while Dominion Energy is involved in a separate legal dispute with the county over a proposed substation.
Residents and community advocates in Prince William County are asking the Board of County Supervisors to defer data center applications requiring special-use permits, rezonings or comprehensive plan amendments for 12 months. Organizers, including Elena Schlossberg, say the pause would allow the county to strengthen development rules, update its Design and Construction Standards Manual and establish larger buffers from homes, schools, parks and religious institutions.
At a news conference outside NTT's data center complex in Gainesville, residents cited concerns about noise, light pollution, air quality, drinking water, electricity costs and the infrastructure needed to support the industry. Rina Stapp of the Save Braemar Coalition also discussed Dominion Energy's proposed Vint Hill SF6 substation and the utility's lawsuit challenging the county's authority to deny the project.
The proposed pause would not cover projects proceeding by right, and residents said it should include a public hearing before it expires. The petition follows the county's September decision to end by-right data center development, which residents said still allows some projects to advance during a 90-day transition period.