Fredericksburg planning commission recommends denial of 1500 Gateway data center rezoning and special-use permit

The City of Fredericksburg Planning Commission voted 7-0 on July 9 to recommend denial of a rezoning and associated special-use permit for a proposed data center at 1500 Gateway.

The proposal from 1500 Gateway Venture LLC (Penzance Development/1500 Gateway Venture) would rezone about 83.5 acres from Planned Development Medical Center (PDMC) to Industrial-2 and allow up to 2,100,000 gross square feet of data center space in four buildings, a substation and related utility infrastructure. The applicant asked for a special-use permit to exceed the 50-foot I-2 height limit up to 90 feet and for water-based cooling for data center equipment.

Why it matters: Commissioners and members of the public raised unresolved questions about long-term water supply for cooling, the siting and routing of high-voltage transmission facilities, potential effects on nearby environmentally sensitive areas and historic resources, and whether the project conforms to transect and land-use policies in the city’s newly adopted comprehensive plan. The planning commission’s recommendation will go to city council for final action.

Staff presentation and applicant case Kelly Machen, planning staff, walked commissioners through the application, explaining the site lies between Route 3 and I-95, is about 83.5 acres, and was rezoned previously for a VA medical clinic that later located elsewhere. Machen said the applicant proposes a water-based cooling system and a substation and that a 2232-style comprehensive-plan conformance review is required for the substation. She outlined the comprehensive plan transects that cross the site (T1 preserved open space, T4 general urban and T5 workplace) and noted the data center would not provide the residential components expected in parts of the transected area.

Charlie Payne, attorney for the applicant, said the project is intended to…