Briskman Talks Data Centers at Town Hall
Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman held a town hall focused on data centers, particularly Amazon's acquisition of George Washington University's campus for data center development. Briskman expressed strong opposition to the project and pledged to use her power to stop it, despite the property's current "by-right" data center zoning. She is requesting a staff report on the project's power and water needs and urged community members to engage in protests and petitions.
Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman hosted a town hall meeting in Sterling, Virginia, where community concerns primarily centered on data center development, specifically the recent sale of George Washington University's Science and Technology Campus to Amazon Data Services. Supervisor Briskman conveyed her frustration and anger upon learning of the sale, which she stated occurred without prior county government consultation, valuing the land at four times its assessed price.
Despite the property's existing 1972 zoning ordinance that allows data centers "by-right" and its inclusion in the Route 28 Tax District, which limits zoning changes, Briskman vowed to oppose Amazon's planned data center project. She committed to exploring every available avenue to halt the development, short of direct intervention. Briskman has initiated a request for a staff report detailing the project's potential scale, building height, and anticipated infrastructure demands, including substations, power lines, and water usage. She plans to hold another town hall once this report is available.
Briskman emphasized that Amazon would still need to navigate county permitting processes, including site plan approval, providing an interim window for action. She is also conducting monthly strategy meetings with her staff to maintain focus on stopping the data center. During the open forum, Briskman encouraged residents to actively participate through protests, letter-writing campaigns, and petitions, highlighting that community voices are crucial in influencing decisions. She reiterated her stance against data centers since 2020, citing environmental concerns and the county's overreliance on such developments, despite their tax contributions.