The public comment portion of the King George County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday night turned into an impromptu town hall.
In King George, like most other localities, supervisors typically don’t respond directly to speakers who voice concerns about various issues.
But the board made an exception Tuesday, providing feedback to a group of concerned citizens who showed up to voice their displeasure about three data center projects already approved by the county.
Residents who live on St. Pauls Road said their lives will be upended by the 500-acre Dahlgren West data center campus. But the project was approved unanimously last August, and the supervisors informed them that it’s a done deal.
Briana Morgan, who moved to King George on Oct. 1, 2025, was particularly distraught about the prospect of living near a data center.
“I’m, like, freaking out,” Morgan said. “We bought our forever home. I’ve got little kids and I don’t want a data center in my backyard. I found this out on Sunday and was spinning. What are we going to do with the animals? Where are they going to go? The forest? It’s so sad, and, like, I don’t know, are we going to get any more say from here on out? What’s going on? Where do we go from here, is my question.”
Morgan was dissatisfied with the answer provided, as well as the civics lesson on local government from County Administrator Matthew Smolnik.
Once the board of supervisors approves a project, developers are free and clear to begin construction. Morgan asked if there’s enough “pushback” from the community, could the board reconsider, “because this is bull.” Morgan asked if the residents have a say; officials that they did, but that opportunity was last year, when the planning commission and the board of supervisors conducted public hearings on the matter.
“The Code of Virginia dictates the governing body vote on special exceptions, rezonings, anything that requires legislative review,” Smolnik said. “The board of supervisors, the five elected officials, are elected by the public so each of you have representation up here on the board of supervisors. So, the legislative process is already over. Everything, from here on out, is administrative.”
While Morgan became invested in the county once she purchased her home, other county residents acknowledged they weren’t civically engaged and unaware of the influx of data centers in the county.
In addition to the Dahlgren West project, the board voted 3-2 in February to approve Green Energy Ventures’ 300-acre, 13-building campus at the northwest intersection of Kings Highway (State Route 3) and Bloomsbury Road.
There’s also the Amazon Data Services project. A previous board approved that project in 2023, but it remains the subject of a pending lawsuit against the county. The current board, excluding James Monroe District representative Bryan Metts — who was elected last November — voted to back out of a performance agreement with Amazon in early 2024.
Residents came before the board on Tuesday concerned about potentially scattered wildlife, noise, water usage, and electricity.
“I’m terrified,” county resident Joshua Mills said.
The supervisors informed Mills and others that while Dahlgren West will use potable water for its restrooms and a potential kitchen, the county won’t permit it to use potable water for cooling its systems.
The developers are exploring using treated wastewater for industrial cooling purposes, supervisors noted. County officials also informed the residents that Northern Neck Electric Cooperative is providing power for Dahlgren West and requires developers to pay the entire cost to connect.
Residents also complained that no one knocked on their door to discuss the Dahlgren West project, but the company, the Potomac Development Group, held its first of multiple public outreach events — an open house at the University of Mary Washington’s Dahlgren Campus — in April 2024.
The developers also opened an office off U.S. 301 to have staff available to answer questions. Dahlgren District Supervisor William Davis told residents that when the county grants the first permit for the project, Dahlgren West developers must pay $5 million that can benefit King George County Public Schools and take care of deteriorating buildings in the county.
Davis implored residents to get involved civically, so they don’t miss their opportunity to speak out and make a difference. He suggested starting a podcast discussing county news and inviting developers interested in coming to the county.
“We have to take a little bit of initiative as adults to go, ‘What can I do to make sure I know the things that I need to know?’” Davis said. “Not that someone always gives it to me because we put it out there, but you also have to take responsibility … My responsibility in life is to make sure I know what I need to know.”
Davis had Amy Southall, the county’s community engagement director, explain to speakers how they can sign up for alerts on public hearings and other county business.
Davis also had a fiery exchange with one resident who said he has a job and can’t follow board meetings.
“We pay our taxes, so you can have a job,” the man told Davis.
One resident asked those in attendance at the meeting to raise their hand if they’re against data centers. He wanted to conduct the informal poll as a demonstration to the board that most of the public has major concerns about the industry’s growing prevalence in King George.
But despite many in the audience showing their disapproval, it was an exercise in futility.
“It’s painful we’re getting this months late,” James Madison District Supervisor Ken Stroud said. “This should’ve happened last year.”
