Stafford supervisors approve rezoning for Stafford Technology Campus with proffers tied to water and infrastructure

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted 6–1 on Sept. 17 to approve a comprehensive plan amendment and a rezoning to permit the Stafford Technology Campus, a proposed data‑center campus that could total up to 5.8 million square feet across as many as 23 buildings.

Planning Director Mike Sarraf told the board the proposal would add the site to the county’s urban services area, change the future land‑use designation from agricultural to a targeted development area, and rezone the parcel from A‑1 agricultural to M‑2 heavy industrial with proffers intended to mitigate utility and transportation impacts. The general development plan submitted by the applicant shows clustered campus areas, tree‑preservation buffers and six on‑site electrical substations.

Charlie Payne, representing the applicant team, said the project would advance significant utility and road improvements that county planners had identified as part of longer‑term capital plans. Payne said the applicant would fund bridging water and sewer improvements and contribute to upgrades at the Acquia wastewater treatment facility. "We are bringing water and transportation infrastructure forward sooner than the county’s current CIP schedule," Payne said.

Board members focused much of their discussion on water: a proposed temporary "bridging" allowance of up to 1 million gallons per day (to support the first few buildings) and the requirement that industrial cooling for the campus ultimately must run on reuse (non‑potable) water once a reuse system is constructed and extended to the site. Utilities Director Chris Edwards and county counsel explained that the proffers require a water services agreement (WSA) be approved by the board before a certificate of occupancy is issued for any affected building.

The approved proffers, submitted to the record during the hearing, also include a proffered approximately four‑acre site off State Shop Road for a future fire station and a $1.5 million proffer for fire and rescue. Planning staff noted that proffers were revised during the review process to address VDOT concerns and to add utility funding commitments.

Public commenters expressed divided views: residents and neighborhood speakers raised concerns about traffic, tree loss, water and power demand; other speakers urged approval for the economic development and tax‑base diversification the campus would bring.

The board’s motion to adopt the comp plan amendment (R‑24‑187) and the rezoning ordinance O‑24‑20—incorporating the signed proffers dated Sept. 13, 2024 (and signed 09/16/2024 as revised at the public hearing)—passed 6–1. Chairwoman Meg Bamke noted the board had negotiated detailed proffers and that the WSA requirement provides an enforceable gating mechanism before occupancy.

Next steps: the county and applicant will finalize the water services agreement and implement the agreed milestones for temporary and reuse water infrastructure before the board will allow affected facilities to be occupied.