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Residents press county on roadside dumping and urge strong rules for data centers
Summary
Residents urged James City County officials Monday to address persistent roadside dumping near Grove and to prepare strong zoning controls for data centers, while a litter-survey volunteer reported improvement in countywide litter conditions.
Several residents used the public-comment period to press James City County officials Monday to address roadside dumping in Grove and to urge strong local rules for data centers, saying other localities' recent experience offers warnings.
"I'm here to address the concern that Grove citizens have about the trash dumping on 60," said Sherry Beaufort, who gave her address as 8594 Pocahontas Trail and said she has reported persistent dumping to county general services and the police. Beaufort said county crews and a camera reduced dumping in one area, but she reported continued trash on the shoulders and called for more enforcement or signage. She said Officer Morrison of the police department agreed to send extra patrols.
Peg Borman, a member of the Clean County Commission, told the board the commission's annual litter-survey index covered about 250 miles of county roadways over eight hours and showed improvement compared with previous years. The commission will hold the county's Great American Cleanup in March and a spring cleanup on April 26; Borman encouraged volunteers and said organizers are recruiting participants for adopt-a-spot and other litter-removal programs.
Ally Stoeger, who said she recently moved to Williamsburg and previously lived in western Prince William County, urged James City County to learn from Prince William's experience with rapid data-center approvals. Stoeger described Prince William's later work to address around-the-clock noise and other impacts, and she urged the county to ensure any industrial data-center overlay districts are not adjacent to residential areas. "If you delineate an industrial data center overlay area, please please make sure it is not adjacent to residential areas by zoning large commercial or similar use around those areas so that they're not anywhere near residents," Stoeger said.
Minutes later the board approved, on the consent calendar, initiation of consideration of zoning-ordinance amendments to consider possible changes addressing data centers and data-processing centers; staff listed Christie Parrish as the point of contact on that item.
Board members later referenced Grove trash concerns in their reports. A supervisor thanked Sherry Beaufort by name and noted the county is moving toward a pilot program for trash pickup in Grove and a planned convenience center; the board also noted a VDOT public meeting on Pocahontas Trail improvements on March 26 and a Grove community meeting with school leadership on March 19.
No formal county action on enforcement or new anti-dumping ordinances was recorded at the meeting; staff and board members said they will pursue administrative responses and the pilot program referenced in board reports.
