Botetourt County landowner sues county over how it made its deal with Google

Botetourt County landowner Robert Dallas has filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the county's performance agreement with Google for a planned data center complex. The agreement covers the sale, expedited permitting and performance grants associated with the project.

Dallas, who lives about a half-mile from the proposed data center and holds a conservation easement on his property, alleges that the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors discussed the agreement in a closed session before approving it without publicly explaining its contents. His attorney, John Fishwick, said the case could have broader implications if the county violated Virginia's open-government requirements. Botetourt County declined to comment on the pending litigation.