Chair Wheeler: 'Facts Matter' Concerning Prince William Digital Gateway

In politics differences of opinion are expected, but in the instance of the Prince William Digital Gateway, it seems that involved parties differ even on the 'facts' about the project.

The Prince William County Digital Gateway is a proposed project that would take 2,100 acres of the rural area around Pageland Lane and build the biggest data center campus (technically, two adjoining campuses) that the world has ever seen.

The adoption of the comprehensive plan amendment does not automatically rezone the land, but it is a big step toward getting the project approved. If the comp plan is amended for that area it demonstrates that the PW gateway is compatible with the kind of usage the board has said it wants for the property. 

The project is very controversial and people differ on even the simplest of issues, such as who the applicant is, whether the project would hurt the region's drinking water and how much environmental project is included in the project. 

Perhaps neither side is right or wrong on these issues, but it is a matter of perspective.  Prince William County Chair Ann Wheeler asks readers to consider the following facts about the project. 

Prince William Board of County Supervisor Chair Addresses Residents' Concerns over the Prince William Digital Gateway, Fights back against 'what she describes as misinformation, saying 'Facts Matter.' 

If you are receiving this email, you are one of the many people my office has heard from in support of, or with concerns about, data centers in general or the Digital Gateway Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA). The Digital Gateway is a $10+ billion economic development project, the largest outside development project of its kind in Prince William County history. The Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) will hear the staff analysis of the CPA proposal on November 1^st, and I want to share the information the BOCS has and let you read it for yourself. 

There are many opinions regarding this project and many people are posting information on social media to support their views. While opinions are important, I believe it is equally important to understand the facts. In this email are information links so you can learn more.  Many of these links can be found on the county website for this project.

I will be sending out further thoughts and information closer to the presentation date via my weekly newsletter, The Wheeler Report. If you would like to receive those information updates, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter.

Staff Report: 

The county staff draft plan for the Digital Gateway was put forward with a recommendation for approval.

• The draft plan calls for changing the underlying land use in the Pageland Lane corridor in the far western end of the county near the Loudoun County border. 
• The concept for the Digital Gateway was proposed by the landowners and has been evaluated by staff for over a year and a half. 
• The CPA is not a rezoning, but rather it is a change in the proposed use for the corridor. The 56-page report covers the protections in place for both environmental resources as well as historical and cultural resources. Bristow Beat Note: the Prince William Planning Commission added a 31-page amendment that strips the applicant of most of these protections although supervisors could restore them. 
• UPDATE, Nov. 1, 2022, at 8:18 p.m., The Prince William Planning Department is NOT recommending the amendments found itemized in the letter. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

The list of frequently asked questions as of March 2021.   Please note that this was posted before the final staff report with their recommendation for approval.  

Confusion About the Applicant and Properties: 

There are many people putting forth misinformation about the CPA applicant and what properties were included in this plan. 

• In any CPA, the applicant is always Prince William County. The original applicant was Mary Ann Ghadban on behalf of herself and her neighbors, who were promised nearly $1 million per acre to sell their land to data center developers Compass and QTS.  Furthermore, Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson said it was, "irregular" for the county to present the applicant before the planning commission. 
• Attached to this email are two graphics of the proposed project from the CPA documents showing the properties in scope.
• Here is the official statement to the BOCS about the CPA applicant and properties and how the process has worked over the last year and a half.

Protecting Our Water: 

There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the impact of this project on the Occoquan Watershed and our drinking water supply. 

• Two-thirds of Prince William County is in the Occoquan Watershed and every project you see going up around you, whether a large building, housing development, or a new road interchange must address its impacts on the watershed. 
• The BOCS had an evening work session where we heard presentations from environmental experts who spoke about how to address development on the watershed and mitigation.
• You can listen to the BOCS work session discussion yourself at this video link with the relevant discussion occurring around the hour 6 mark. Bristow Beat Note: Fairfax Water president requested a water study.  Chair Wheeler said this may have been influenced by an employee who is related to a Nokesville resident who has been a strong proponent of Prince William'County's Rural Crescent .

Revenue and Jobs:

Analysis of the Digital Gateway shows that it can provide great economic benefit to Prince William County. The firm BAE Urban Economics analyzed the data center industry in Prince William County and identified many economic benefits to our county and its citizens. In addition, county staff analyzed the specific impact of the Digital Gateway on tax revenue.

• The BAE’s study concluded that for every typical data center building providing 28 jobs, there were an additional 133 indirect jobs supported
• The county staff analysis concluded that at full build-out the Digital Gateway will offer an estimated annual positive tax revenue of approximately $400 million (see pages 16-17) including real estate and business tangible property taxes.   

Digital Gateway ≠ The Bi-County Parkway:

Recently, misinformation has been circulated that the Pageland Lane improvements in the Digital Gateway CPA are resurrecting the Bi-County Parkway concept.  This is false.

• Whether or not the Digital Gateway CPA is approved, there will be development along Pageland Lane that will require a four-lane road.
• Housing or other development options would likely require a higher number of daily trips on Pageland Lane.
• Unlike some development concepts, the Digital Gateway CPA option does not require a connection to the Prince William Parkway (Rt. 234 bypass) or I-66. Bristow Beat Note: VDOT confirmed this at the planning commission meeting on Sept. 14. 

In Conclusion:

I hope that as you review all this information and analysis you will judge for yourself what the merits of the Digital Gateway project are to Prince William County. If you want to continue to receive more information, please contact my office or subscribe to my weekly newsletter as mentioned above.  

In Service,

Ann Wheeler
 Ann B. Wheeler
Chair, Prince William Board of County Supervisors
1 County Complex Ct., Prince William, VA 22192
703-792-4640

Stay Informed: Subscribe to The Wheeler Report .

A response from a citizen activist has now been published. You can read it here.