Kings Highway Data Center Plans Spark Health Concerns in Stafford
Residents of Stafford County, Virginia, voiced significant health and air pollution concerns regarding proposed large-scale data centers at a Board of Supervisors meeting. The Forest Lane Data Center project, developed by Real Estate Pursuits 2 LC (affiliated with Peterson Companies), is currently under staff review for rezoning and a conditional use permit. The county has updated its zoning to regulate data centers, but residents are pushing for more stringent review.
Residents of Stafford County, Virginia, raised serious health and environmental concerns about proposed large-scale data centers at a Board of Supervisors meeting on June 2, 2026. J.W. Swain, a Washington District resident, presented calculations indicating that a proposed 11-million-square-foot data center complex along Kings Highway could expel 37,000 pounds of PM 2.5 and PM 10 particulate matter annually from its generators, even with the best available technology. Swain highlighted the proximity of these emissions to schools and a park, noting that the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) cannot deny permits based solely on pollution concentration.
The primary project in question is the Forest Lane Data Center, proposed by Real Estate Pursuits 2 LC, an affiliate of Peterson Companies. The developer seeks to rezone 845 acres at the intersection of Kings Highway and Forest Lane from A-1 and M-1 to M-2 for data center uses, along with a Conditional Use Permit for an electrical substation. The application is currently under staff review as part of a larger pipeline of approximately 18 data center proposals in Stafford County.
Kevin French, a former technology executive and George Washington District resident, urged the Board of Supervisors to seek independent legal, financial, and technical expertise due to the unprecedented scale and complexity of the regional data center proposals. While Stafford County has recently updated its Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance to include stricter setbacks, noise standards, and environmental considerations for data centers, residents are calling for more action. The Board did not directly respond to the public comments during the meeting but has scheduled work sessions to discuss regional tax rates.