An overflow crowd filled the Stafford County government center Tuesday night, with many in the audience eager to urge elected officials to adopt "strong enforceable standards" for data centers.
People are also reading…
Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425
Stafford approves state's strictest setbacks for data centers
From the Past Times-Dispatch coverage of data centers series
1 of 3
After months in the making, the Stafford Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission held a joint public hearing Tuesday on updating data center regulations. The county opted for a 750-foot setback between data center buildings and property lines for homes, schools and rivers.Â
About 9:30 p.m., the Stafford boardroom is still filled with people as Ashley Nanthavongsa–Mosley, speaking for Protect Stafford, tells the Board of Supervisors the group harbors concerns over long-term impacts of data centers but is in favor of approving the project for Cranes Corner. It was approved, the fifth such data-center campus in Stafford.Â
When Joe Jacobs spoke to the Stafford board, well after midnight, the crowd had thinned considerably. He has a data center application in the works and said imposing new restrictions after the projects have been submitted "sends a bad message." He and lawyer Charlie Payne, who represents many data centers projects in the region, were the only two people of more than 40 speakers to oppose stricter regulations.Â
Most Popular
Virginia's redistricting referendum was approved by a narrow margin on Tuesday with 51.45% of the commonwealth's voters in favor of the rare m…
Rocky Mount police executed search warrants at three vape shops on Thursday for potentially selling products exceeding legal THC limits.
A Franklin County man was sentenced to three active years in prison in connection with a 2024 crash that killed a Martinsville man and serious…
Rocky Mount is not increasing taxes next year, but rates for water, wastewater and solid waste collection are going up.
One speaker called the proposed tax hikes "totally stupid," while another argued that tax revenue helps invest in county services.
