Mason land use committee to consider substation for Plaza 500 data center
The Bren Mar Park community in Fairfax County, VA, is actively opposing Starwood Capital's Plaza 500 data center project, with a crucial public hearing scheduled for a necessary electrical substation proposed by Dominion Energy. Separately, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors plans to consider a moratorium on data center applications due to widespread community concerns. Both developments highlight escalating local government and resident pushback against data center expansion in Northern Virginia.
The Bren Mar Park community in Fairfax County, Virginia, is nearing a critical stage in its four-year effort to oppose Starwood Capital's proposed Plaza 500 data center. The Fairfax County Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing on September 24 regarding Dominion Energy's proposal for an electrical substation and transmission line, which is essential for the data center's operation and located less than 70 feet from residential homes. Tyler Ray, president of the Bren Pointe Homeowners Association, emphasized this as the sole opportunity for public input, as the data center itself can proceed "by-right" under existing zoning rules.
The Mason District Land Use Committee is scheduled to discuss Dominion Energy's proposal on July 28 and will issue a formal recommendation on September 22 ahead of the Planning Commission's hearing. Ray urged community attendance, recalling the committee's 2022 recommendation to deny a rezoning application for the Plaza 500 property due to negative impacts. Starwood Capital submitted a building permit application for the first of two planned data centers on July 16, a move Ray criticized as an attempt to force county approval before the substation is finalized.
In a related development, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors plans to consider a motion on September 15 to impose a moratorium on all data center applications until new zoning laws are established. Supervisor Juli Briskman noted that residents desire to severely restrict or halt data center development, citing concerns over visual and noise impacts, strain on the electrical grid, financial costs, and air quality issues within the county, which currently hosts 250 data centers.