The Spotsylvania County Planning Commission recommended approval of a proposed data center campus that would be located on approximately 73 acres at the southern end of Cosner Drive during its meeting last week.
After the 5-0 vote recommending moving forward with the project, the board of supervisors will conduct a public hearing Tuesday to either approve or deny the proposal called Hunters Ridge South. Commissioners Scott Phelps of the Lee Hill District and Debbie Fergoso of the Livingston District were not present for the meeting.
The applicant requested rezoning of the property currently zoned Rural and Mixed-Use Low (M-4) to Industrial (I-2) with proffers for the development of a maximum 2.2 million square-foot data center campus.
Logan Brunette, of the Hirschler Fleischer law firm representing the applicant, noted during a presentation to the commission that the project would be completed in two phases — the first one being up to 995,000 square feet and the second up to 1.2 million square feet.
The height of the buildings is not to exceed 110 feet, including rooftop equipment. Staff recommended approval with no specific amount of revenue expected to be generated.
Brunette’s presentation stated that data centers in Virginia in 2021 created 45,460 operational, construction and manufacturing jobs and generated $15.3 billion, but only said that this project “is expected to similarly generate significant tax revenues for the county.”
Some of the key proffers include: security fencing, setbacks with the closest home being 1,000 feet away, 15% of open space, sound levels not to exceed 65 decibels, construction mitigation and emergency action plans and $50,000 to the Spotsylvania County Public Schools Career and Technical Center.
There will also be improvements on Cosner Drive to the main entrance, among other transportation proffers.
Water usage is typically a concern with data centers. This project would use recycled water through a reuse connection to be built at Massaponax Church Road. The applicant will pay all costs associated with the reuse connection.
The approval recommendation comes less than a week before the board of supervisors will discuss possible data center development standards during its meeting on Tuesday.
Hirschler Fleischer, an individual or organization central to this story, is a major donor to the Free Press. Donors do not influence newsroom operations
