July 12 Update: The Democratic majority on the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors voted against the resolution, so the board will still be able to vote on contentious land-use issues during its "lame-duck" session.
GAINESVILLE, VA – Monday, Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, Republican candidate for Chair At-Large of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors joined former Congressman Frank Wolf-R, candidate Va. State Senate candidate Bill Woolf-R, and candidate for delegate John Stirrup in press addressing their concerns over data center development in Prince William County.
Standing at the Manassas Battlefield, across from Pageland Lane, Lawson called upon her fellow supervisors to institute a lame-duck policy this election year. This resolution, which she brought before the board last week, would prohibit controversial land-use projects from being brought before the board between election day and when the new board takes office.
Lawson listed Prince William Digital Gateway, the Devlin Tech Center and John Marshall Commons among projects that should not be considered by a “lame-duck” board.
If those issues are taken up by a “lame-duck” board, those supervisors would not have to be held accountable for their votes, and that would undermine the will of the people.
"Today, I'm calling on my colleagues on the board of county supervisors to support public trust and accountability, protect the people of Prince William, and put service to our constituents over self,” Lawson said, during the conference.
Chair Ann Wheeler-D was ousted during the primary, and Lawson defeated a pro-digital gateway opponent by a landslide. Many took this as a mandate that the voters do not want data centers built near homes, schools, national and state parks
Lawson called on Deshundra Jefferson, Democratic candidate for chair, to support her resolution. “It is my hope that Ms. Jefferson will uphold the mandate that the Democratic primary voters gave her in June and call on her Democratic colleagues to uphold that mandate,” Lawson said.
Lawson said moratoriums like this one are standard practice in Fairfax and Stafford counties. In 2019 she also requested a moratorium to address the issues she felt were the most contentious.
She said that approved data center projects during that time in 2019 were located in industrially zoned areas, and not to be “duped” by arguments from Pageland property owners who would make millions of dollars by selling their properties.
Other Republicans spoke out against data center projects near the Manassas National Battlefield.
Former U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf called the plans for the Prince William Digital Gateway the “4th Battle of Manassas.” In the 1990s, he helped to fight against commercial development near the battlefield. In 2014 residents fought to bury high-voltage power lines rather than run more of them through the Rural Crescent or Town of Haymarket.
Bill Woolf, Republican Candidate for Va. State Senate District 20, said he would, “fight and continue to fight,” for the battlefield and the right placement of data centers, and he will support Lawson.
In an interview, Woolf said that other areas of the state could benefit from data centers, and he wants to have those conversations in Richmond.
John Stirrup, the Republican candidate for 21st District House Delegate, noted that the Compass and QTS digital gateway campuses would make up 65 million square feet. For context, he said that the Pentagon is 27 million square feet and was the largest office facility at the time it was built.
He pointed out the irony that 30 years ago Annie Snyder led the fight against development, and now her family seeks to sell to data center developers.
Stirrup noted that in a letter to Chair Wheeler, former Manassas Battlefield Supervisor Brandon Brice called the data centers “the single biggest threat to the Manassas Battlefield in nearly three decades.”
The press conference was staged at the Manassas National Battlefield's Stewart Hill parking lot along Lee Highway and across from Pageland Lane. The location highlighted the battlefield, but also the high-voltage power lines. Those powerlines, installed in 2012, attracted data center developers and made residents feel that their land was less rural and bucolic.
Approximately 30 residents attended the press conference, some residents of Heritage Hunt advocating that the Prince William Digital Gateway not be built near their neighborhood. Others were supporters of the national park.
Lawson told Bristow Beat that Gainesville Supervisor Bob Weir-R added his support. He would have liked to attend the event but was unable to get off work that morning.
She said she agreed with residents that the Prince William Digital Gateway needs to be studied further because the cost involved is unknown.
In her speech, she pointed out that several members of the Planning Department have quit in the past year. Lawson said she suspects Chair Wheeler had been coercing them to greenlight projects that are not good governance.
Lawson asks that those in support of her resolution speak at today's Prince William County Board of County Supervisor's meeting, which begins at 2 p.m., at the McCoart Center.
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