School Board Rep Asks Supervisors to Delay Devlin Tech Park Vote until Gainesville Has Representation

Dear Board of County Supervisors,

I appreciate your service to the citizens of Prince William County. I write as the Gainesville District’s only elected voice on county matters, to address the upcoming vote scheduled for February 7th on the Devlin Technology Park—and other data center developments—that will directly affect six PWCS schools and numerous families, many of whom reside in the Gainesville District.

I represent 465 students who attend Gainesville High School, 217 students who attend Chris Yung, 12 students who attend Piney Branch and 16 students who attend Gainesville Middle School.

I implore you to postpone the vote until the Gainesville District selects its representative on the Board of County Supervisors, 15 days from now. As for the merits of the proposed development, I oppose the Devlin Technology Park development because as currently planned it places dozens of data centers directly adjacent to our schools.

The BOCS tried to mix industrial and school land use 2 ½ years ago, with the proposed industrial use near Mullen elementary in Manassas. A majority of the BOCS–including the Gainesville representative–realized then that the mix was a bad idea. Industry and schools were a bad mix then, and they’re a bad mix now.

The school system needs to be a part of the conversation for projects that have such a direct impact on our schools. I ask that in the future, you include the school division in the conversation about data centers when they are proposed to be built next to our schools.

I’ve stated before that I am not fundamentally opposed to data centers as a tax diversification strategy. But building dozens of enormous, noisy concrete monoliths in residential areas–on properties directly adjacent to schools and homes, and outside areas zoned for heavy industrial use–comes with an enormous opportunity cost. Homes, sidewalks, parks and open spaces are by far the more appropriate choice so that families can live near to and walk to their schools--especially elementary schools.

Once the forest is clearcut and the structures are built, the damage will be done, and it will be irreparable. I plead with you to delay the vote until the children and families who attend the impacted schools have representation. Gainesville families deserve a voice on the board when such a serious and consequential matter is being decided that directly impacts their schools, their home values, their right to quiet peace and enjoyment of their properties, their health and safety, and their right to representative government. If you will not delay the vote, then I respectfully urge you to vote “no.”

Sincerely,

Jennifer Wall