Fairfax County planners defer Lake Fairfax redevelopment review amid data center noise concerns
Fairfax County planners deferred a recommendation on EYA Development’s proposed redevelopment of Lake Fairfax Business Center in Reston. Commissioners raised concerns about low-frequency noise from an existing data center located about 100 feet from planned residences, while the rezoning application remains under review.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission postponed action on EYA Development’s proposal to rezone roughly 49 acres of Lake Fairfax Business Center in Reston for 956 to 1,042 homes, retail space, parks and a future elementary school. The project is expected to go before the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 17, although the applicant must first address technical concerns raised by county staff and obtain feedback from the Reston Planning and Zoning Committee.
Commissioners focused on the existing data center on the property, which would remain outside the redevelopment area but is approximately 100 feet from part of the planned residential neighborhood. Chair Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner called for monitoring that captures persistent low-frequency noise, while Commissioner Evelyn Spain urged staff to enforce applicable noise rules and respond to potential complaints. County regulations adopted in 2024 require a 200-foot buffer for new data centers, but do not apply retroactively to the facility built in 2001.