Overview: Mike Graham, 57, says developers cleared land to build a 402,000‑square‑foot data center less than a mile from his Chantilly, Virginia, home. He treasures nearby woods where he photographs river otters, woodpeckers, owls and a great blue heron colony and fears the project will harm the ecosystem and bring constant buzzing noise. After speaking at a 2023 Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing that approved the project, he was left disappointed; his voluntary HOA lacks funds to mount a legal challenge. He and his wife now plan to move after retirement but hope the facility will at least be a considerate neighbor.
“They're Taking a Piece of My Peace”: 402,000‑Sq.-Ft. Data Center Planned Less Than a Mile From My Chantilly Home
Overview: Mike Graham, 57, says developers cleared land to build a 402,000‑square‑foot data center less than a mile from his Chantilly, Virginia, home. He treasures nearby woods where he photographs river otters, woodpeckers, owls and a great blue heron colony and fears the project will harm the ecosystem and bring constant buzzing noise. After speaking at a 2023 Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing that approved the project, he was left disappointed; his voluntary HOA lacks funds to mount a legal challenge. He and his wife now plan to move after retirement but hope the facility will at least be a considerate neighbor.
20:12, 07.11.2025Environment
A new data center, a lost refuge
By Mike Graham (as told to the reporter)
When my wife and I moved to Chantilly in 2002, we chose this neighborhood for shade, mature trees and small pockets of woods where our children could play. Two decades later, a quiet walk through those woods is still my refuge—finding a family of river otters in the stream or watching a chorus of birds in the trees is one of life’s simple joys for me.
Now, developers have cleared a nearby parcel to build a 402,000‑square‑foot data center less than a mile from our house. It’s hard not to feel betrayed: the “cloud” people talk about isn’t ethereal—it’s powered by big, visible buildings that reshape the places where we live.
"A walk in the woods gives me peace, and they're taking a big piece of that away."
I live on the border of Loudoun County, an area already known for a dense cluster of data centers. When I first heard about this project, I felt alarmed, shocked and angry. In the woods beside the site I have photographed river otters, woodpeckers, owls and even a colony of great blue herons. My fear is that converting that natural ground into hardscape will damage the local ecosystem and the wildlife it supports.
In 2023 I spoke alongside more than a dozen neighbors at a Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing. I prepared a list of every plant and animal I believed could be affected. The meeting ran past midnight, and despite public comment the commission voted in favor of the development. I left feeling disappointed and dejected.
Our neighborhood has a voluntary homeowners association that simply does not have the funds to hire legal counsel to challenge the build. Another major worry is noise: many data centers produce a persistent buzzing from cooling systems and backup generators. Living so close to that constant hum, with few remedies available, is deeply concerning.
My wife and I had never planned to move, but now we intend to relocate after we both retire within the next decade—somewhere quieter, perhaps the mountains or the coast. Until then, all I ask is that the facility try to be a respectful neighbor and that local planners take greater account of what communities lose when green spaces are paved over.
If you have a story about living near a data center, the reporter can be reached at the original outlet.