The Fauquier County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to again recommend denying Gigaland's plan for a 200-acre data center campus in Remington, citing community health, infrastructure and quality-of-life concerns. The project would include six data centers, two substations and a water treatment plant and would rezone 159 acres for business park use. Despite Gigaland cutting the project's square footage and reducing substations after an earlier denial, many residents and commissioners still view the plan as too large. The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors will review the application on Sept. 10.
Fauquier Planning Commission Again Recommends Denying Gigaland Data Center After Resident Backlash
Photo Credit: iStock
The Fauquier County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to again recommend that the Board of Supervisors reject Gigaland's proposed 200-acre data center campus in Remington, siding with local residents who said tax revenue should not trump community health and quality of life.
What the Proposal Would Include
Gigaland seeks permission to build six data centers, two electrical substations and a water treatment plant on a 200-acre parcel. The application would rezone roughly 159 acres to business-park use and 43 acres to rural agricultural use, and requests a zoning waiver for access from Lucky Hill Road.
Planning Commission Decision
The commission reached its recommendation to deny the project's proposed comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning request and special exceptions on a 4-1 vote. Lee District Commissioner John Meadows, who chairs the commission, cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he regarded a data center as an appropriate use for the site. Marshall District Commissioner Jody Warfield made the motion to recommend denial.
"The worst thing about all of this is the No. 1 reason we're given to pass it is that we will make millions in tax revenue. So we are to forget about protecting the health and safety and quality of life of our neighbors in Remington just so our government doesn't have to do the hard work of attracting the appropriate kinds of business," Warfield said at the hearing.
Local Concerns and Community Response
Opponents — many from the nearby Meadows of Remington neighborhood — filled the hearing and outnumbered supporters. Residents and commissioners cited concerns about increased noise, heavy water use, strain on local infrastructure, potential pollution, higher energy bills for neighbors, and the loss of rural character. Opponents argued these burdens would fall most heavily on Remington residents.
Changes by Gigaland
After an earlier rejection, Gigaland scaled back its application, cutting the proposed square footage by more than half and reducing the number of electrical substations. Even so, many commissioners and residents said the revised proposal remained too large for the area.
Next Steps
The matter now moves to the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors, which is expected to consider the project at its Sept. 10 meeting. The decision will be closely watched as part of a broader national debate over how local communities balance the financial incentives of data centers with their local environmental, infrastructure and quality-of-life impacts.
Help us improve.
