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First, thank you for following PEC’s work in Culpeper throughout 2024. This year, we made a concerted effort to better inform the community about local events — sometimes sharing great wins, like the opening of the Culpeper Battlefields State Park, and sometimes asking you to raise your voice in support of land conservation or in opposition to weakened local protections against data center noise.
A core tenet of PEC’s mission is that local decisions matter and that engaged and informed communities are vital to achieving positive outcomes. One of the most uplifting parts of 2024 has been watching Culpeper come together as active participants in our local government; namely, the burgeoning citizen group, Coalition to Save Culpeper, that formed in response to the proliferation of data centers in Culpeper.
In that spirit, we have some good news to share with you about two Culpeper decisions that were only achieved through strong community engagement. We also have an update on the county’s efforts to protect farmland and reduce rural density, which still faces strong opposition.
Thank you again for your support. We cannot wait to see what the new year brings.
Win: Clevenger’s Corner Officially Prohibits Data Center Development
On Dec. 4, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proffer amendment explicitly prohibiting the development of data centers in Clevenger’s Corner. Thank you for submitting comments and attending the Planning Commission meeting on Nov. 12 to push this decision!
Proffers are a set of additional promises by a developer tied to a development. They often include monetary contributions to the locality or enhanced environmental standards to mitigate a project’s impact on the community, but can also waive certain rights inherent to the property — like the right to build a data center.
During the Planning Commission hearing, the Clevenger’s Corner developer insisted that data centers were not a by-right use on the property. Later, at the Board hearing, the developer claimed it had been mistaken and that data centers could have been built on the property without a special exception from the Board of Supervisors. In light of this discovery, the developer amended the proffers so that data centers will be prohibited from Clevenger’s Corner in the future. The developer also proffered an additional monetary contribution to maintain the nearby Spillman Park.
Although we had hoped to see a few other changes, we still consider this a substantial improvement because it has removed the potential for any future data center development in this part of Culpeper.
We’ve Made a Difference: Town Council Moves to Delay Vote on Culpeper Technology Campus Noise Proffers, Citing Need For More Information
At its Dec. 10 hearing, the Culpeper Town Council voted to delay a decision on the Culpeper Technology Campus (CTC) proffer amendment until Mar. 11, 2025. The CTC is seeking to amend the noise restrictions in its proffers to change the way noise would be measured for enforcement. It also wants to exempt several non-emergency activities, including construction and backup generator testing, from compliance with any noise standards.
Noise is a complicated issue, but we are concerned these proposed changes will weaken noise protections for residents near the eight-building, 2.1-million-square-foot campus. Some of our concerns have been validated by the recently published Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) studyon data centers, which recommends that localities move away from the noise measurement system CTC is requesting to adopt.
We continue to urge the Town Council to seek an unbiased, expert opinion on the changes before taking any action on them; but so far, the only expert opinion provided was paid for by the owner of CTC, an international data center company known as Stack Infrastructure.
This issue is far from resolved, but we are heartened that the Town Council listened to the many citizens who wrote and spoke at the hearing, asking Councilmembers not to approve the amendment without making sure that it would truly benefit the community. We hope this delay will give the Council time to make an informed decision that provides better protections for the community.
More Action is Needed: Culpeper County Planning Commission Recommends Denial of Amendment to the Rural Subdivision Ordinance
The Culpeper County Planning Commission voted on Dec. 5 to recommend denial of the zoning amendment that would have: increased the minimum lot size in the Rural Area (RA) and Agricultural (A1) zoning districts, added an option for landowners to use cluster subdivisions to preserve larger tracts of land, and updated private road standards.
PEC supports this amendment because it would reduce residential development in remote areas. Farmland is being lost to sprawl across Virginia, but commonsense practices like these can help slow growth, reduce pressure, and keep taxes low, while still allowing landowners to subdivide and sell their land.
Despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation for denial, this amendment could still pass. The Board of Supervisors will make the final decision in the new year. A date for the hearing has not yet been set. In the meantime, we encourage supporters of this amendment to write to the Board of Supervisors. You can also submit comments to [email protected].
Through all the ups and downs we’ve seen in Culpeper this year, it’s important to remember that each small win pushes the needle toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all Virginians. Thank you for your actions and efforts this year in conserving the lands and waters of Culpeper County. We hope you will continue to be engaged with us here at PEC as we take on new challenges in 2025!