Virginia is subsidizing billions of dollars in data center development on the backs of its ratepayers, without a full understanding of the long-term ramifications.
Loudoun County
PEC stands with citizens to build excellent communities, relieve taxes and traffic, and protect open space in Loudoun. We work to maintain a balance between the towns, the suburbs and the country so residents can enjoy each of them.
Initial Transmission Proposals – PEC Web Map
Transmission line proposals to serve the explosive growth of data centers in Virginia over the past few years have begun to roll in.
PEC Accepting Annual Photo Contest Submissions Through Sept. 30
Now through September 30, photographers are invited to submit their best images of the Virginia Piedmont to PEC’s 12th Annual Photo Contest.
Upcoming Mickie Gordon Park Community Meetings
Tell Loudoun staff what you’d like to see in the park given the rural character of the surroundings, its history, and the community’s needs.
Get Distributed Solar for Your Home, Farm or Business
It’s solar season! Solarize Piedmont, our annual campaign with the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), is running now through the end of August.
Board of Supervisors Public Hearing on Loudoun’s Zoning Ordinance Rewrite
On July 26, the Board of Supervisors will hold its first of two public hearing on potential revisions to the Planning Commission’s Draft Zoning Ordinance.
Sportsplex Proposal at Mickie Gordon Park in Flux
Dear Supporter,
Last Thursday evening, Middleburg area residents came together in a remarkable demonstration of their collective love for Mickie Gordon Memorial Park and its history, sharing concerns about a County-driven special exception application (SPEX-2022-0020) to convert the multiuse community park to a more urban style sportsplex.
The proposal includes two new paved parking lots, accompanying as many as 1,681 vehicle trips projected on Saturdays, and several hundred more trips on weekdays. New lighting would dwarf the tree line of the quiet, rural park; specifically, 18 100-ft poles would be lit as late as 11 p.m. most nights. And counter to years of traffic calming efforts along the gateway corridor, new turn lanes would be added, widening Route 50.
The proposal had advanced without outreach to the community, the Town of Middleburg, or the County Board of Supervisors’ office, and was not in keeping with county policies for locating public facilities as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan.
Fortunately, thanks to extensive collaboration between nonprofits and the Middleburg community, including an effective sign and petition campaign, the proposal became a major topic of local conversation. Even more pivotal, as many as two hundred residents came out to the community meeting held by the County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, which had been requested by Middleburg’s mayor and Town Council.
Many perspectives and heartfelt sentiments were expressed, providing critical context to decisionmakers and staff. Overall, residents seemed to share three main requests for the County:
- Withdraw the special exception application;
- Immediately proceed to find an alternate location for the much-needed championship tournament field in suburban Loudoun; and
- Come back and initiate a community input process to determine a more appropriate outcome for Mickie Gordon Park that honors the special place the park, its baseball fields, and environs, hold for local residents.
These asks emphasize a need for the County to improve how it plans for recreational resources. In this case, the lack of public process resulted in unnecessary distress in the community, and time and money wasted by the County. Mickie Gordon Park exemplifies the importance of establishing specific criteria to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts when providing desired county park facilities.
County’s response and what’s next
As noted in local news reports, Blue Ridge Leader and Loudoun Now, the head of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services said the department heard the public loud and clear and will be making changes. What these changes are, and when they are anticipated, is still unknown – no public announcement has been made yet.
Tonight, the Middleburg Town Council will discuss sending a letter to County officials regarding the special exception. We expect that it will reinforce the three main requests raised by the public.
You might consider sending a note to [email protected] to bolster efforts and thank the mayor and councilmembers for taking action. If you do, be sure to copy the Board of Supervisors and County staff to encourage withdrawal of the application and follow through on all of the requested next steps in a transparent and robust way.
In the meantime, PEC will continue to follow up on the County’s response to Mickie Gordon Park and provide suggestions to improve future park planning.
Sincerely,
Gem Bingol
Senior Land Use Field Representative – Loudoun County
[email protected]
(540) 347-2334 x7041
Presentation: Data Center Energy Demand in Northern Virginia
PEC’s Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse presents on the impacts of data center growth on Virginia’s clean energy future.
PEC Presentation on Data Centers & Virginia’s Clean Energy Future
On June 10, 2023, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted our annual meeting in Loudoun County and featured a workshop on data centers and Virginia’s clean energy future. The presentation, given by PEC’s Senior Energy and Climate Policy Analyst Ashish Kapoor and Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse, is available to view and download below.
On the Ground Updates – June 2023
A series of short updates from around the PEC region.