A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Albemarle & Charlottesville
AC44 Comprehensive Plan Update
In an abrupt shift in April 2024, Albemarle County paused all community engagement about the AC44 comprehensive plan update and announced a restructuring of the entire plan in mid-July. PEC is gravely concerned about the lack of community engagement. We are calling on our members and partners to challenge this process and ensure the citizen voices of Albemarle County continue to be a central component of the comp plan process. Throughout, PEC has advocated for key initiatives that will strengthen the County’s land conservation programs.
Data Centers
It’s been over a year since PEC asked Albemarle County about how it would address a data center proposal, given that County Code does not include anything other than a definition of data center. During a Board of Supervisors work session, the County indicated that data centers are a by-right land use within industrial districts. Because of their tremendous negative impacts locally and statewide, PEC’s position is that data centers should be allowed only by special-use permit and with performance based requirements.
Clarke
Conservation Field Day
PEC is helping Clarke County Schools host their annual Conservation Field Day, which brings all Clarke County fourth graders together to learn about the natural world around them. Local and state organizations introduce students to wildlife, conservation and stewardship efforts in the region.
Culpeper
Copper Ridge Substation
The Planning Commission previously found the substation associated with the Copper Ridge data center campus noncompliant with the Comprehensive Plan. In June, the Town Council overruled that finding, marking another step toward construction of the 2.2-million-square-foot campus next to the Culpeper National Cemetery, Mountain Brook Estates neighborhood, and S. East Street Historic District.
Red Ace XI Data Center Complex
The Board of Supervisors has approved the 1.5-million-square-foot data center complex known as Red Ace XI, slated for the last developable block of land within the Culpeper Technology Zone, earmarked for data centers.
XX Tech Park
After tremendous advocacy by PEC and local residents, the Culpeper County Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the XX Tech Park. The developer of the 4.6-million-square-foot data center campus proposal in Brandy Station has asked the Board of Supervisors to delay its vote until after September.
Yard Signs
We now have a limited number of “Save Culpeper, Stop Data Center Sprawl” yard signs! If you are interested in obtaining one, please contact Sarah Parmelee at [email protected].
Fauquier
Warrenton Village Center
Warrenton Town Council has approved the Warrenton Village Center mixed-use redevelopment project on Oak Springs Drive, adjacent to Highland School, on 30 acres of the existing Warrenton Village Shopping Center. To address concerns by neighbors and others, the applicant moved substantially on design, number of affordable housing units and access issues. The project, which aligns with the Comprehensive Plan, includes 386 residential units, several four-story buildings and some commercial space.
Catlett Data Center Proposal
Thanks to the thoughtful public comment and strong advocacy by Protect Catlett, Citizens for Fauquier County, and Protect Fauquier, the application to rezone 60 acres of land in Catlett for a 1.4-million-square-foot data center campus with a substation has been withdrawn by its developer.
Data Center Proposals in Remington
The Board of Supervisors is currently weighing three different data center campus proposals in Remington:
- a 1.07-million-square-foot data center project with four buildings, each at least 65 feet tall, at the gateway into Remington on James Madison Highway. This is a revival of a 2019 proposal that PEC opposed because of its proximity and impacts to the town, including its likelihood to worsen flooding.
- a data center development with 10 buildings, each at least 65-feet tall, on 200 acres southeast of Remington Technology Park across Lucky Hill Road. If approved, this 2.8-million-square-feet complex would be the largest data center campus in the County by far.
- a 1-million-square-foot-data center space in two 45-foot-tall buildings on 55 acres adjoining the Remington Technology Park. The developer is still responding to the County’s first round of comments from 2023, which identified issues including uncertainties around electrical service and the proposed use of groundwater.
Greene
Conservation of Chauvonon Property
In partnership with the landowner, PEC staff has permanently protected the 41-acre Chauvonon property along Welsh Run in southwest Greene County. This small but mighty conservation project helps protect a forested ecological core in the Rivanna River watershed and is important for holding the line on sprawling development around the Ruckersville growth area.
Water Supply Changes
PEC is closely following the County’s efforts to address water supply changes. This work includes funding and building a new reservoir and replacing treatment plants and aging sewer and water supply piping. As the Virginia Piedmont continues to experience extended periods of drought, water supply infrastructure is a priority for the County.
New Ordinances
Greene County is developing a new ordinance for Technology/Flex/Research and Development Districts, and new ordinances addressing data centers and solar energy generation facilities, both by special-use permits with performance criteria.
Loudoun
MARL Transmission Line
Loudoun has achieved a win against NextEra Energy’s proposed MARL transmission line alignment across western Loudoun. With PEC’s early warning and information, residents’ cohesive and fierce pushback and Board of Supervisors’ support led NextEra to move the new 500-kilovolt line onto the existing transmission corridor on the east side of Leesburg.
Aspen Golden Transmission Line
PEC will be observing the State Corporation Commission’s public hearing on Sept. 5 at Belmont Ridge Middle School on Loudoun’s other new proposed transmission line, connecting the Aspen and Golden substations. As an official intervener in the SCC hearings on this line, PEC is unable to give public comment, so we strongly encourage community members to attend and speak.
Comprehensive Plan
PEC is actively engaged in supporting stakeholder representatives for the western Loudoun Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance update coming in the fall.
Madison
Comprehensive Plan
The draft update to the Comprehensive Plan has moved to a Planning Commission work group for initial review. The group will formulate questions for the full Commission to take up, with a public hearing expected this fall. Throughout the process, PEC has worked closely with residents and County officials and is pleased with the draft presented to the work group. We will review any proposed changes and make recommendations.
Orange
Sunfish Solar Project
In August, the Board of Supervisors denied the proposed 80-megawatt Sunfish utility-scale solar facility. PEC, along with many area residents, raised concerns about the impact on over 650 acres of prime agricultural soil. PEC advocates that all utility-scale solar projects should minimize grading, tree removal and impacts on topsoil.
Utility Scale and Community Solar Update
The Board of Supervisors unexpectedly withdrew from their agenda a scheduled public hearing on a draft zoning amendment banning any solar facility that primarily produces power for off-site users, which would include both utility-scale and community solar. The Planning Commission had recommended denial of this amendment, echoing PEC’s concerns, which include efforts at the General Assembly to take solar siting decisions away from localities in response to a growing number of such bans. Rather than a ban, we support, and will continue to advocate for, commonsense guidelines to avoid potential negative impacts of utility-scale solar facilities.
Rappahannock
Multi-Use Trail
The PATH Foundation and the Krebser Fund of the Piedmont Environmental Council announced joint grants of up to $25,000 each for the construction of a multi-use trail from the Town of Washington’s new post office on Leggett Lane to the center of town. Construction is expected to begin in the coming months.
Short Term Rentals
On July 1, a zoning text amendment went into effect requiring property owners to own land for at least two years before they are eligible to apply for a special use permit to run a short-term rental operation. The Board has been notified that a lawsuit has been filed challenging the ordinance’s legality.
Rappahannock County Food Pantry
Owners of the Rush River Commons project held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new home of the Rappahannock County Food Pantry on July 12. The food pantry is one part of the multi-use project and will eventually be joined by the county’s Department of Social Services and 18 units of affordable housing.
This article appeared in the 2024 fall edition of The Piedmont Environmental Council’s member newsletter, The Piedmont View. If you’d like to become a PEC member or renew your membership, please visit pecva.org/join.