Planning commission confronts 2.2‑million‑sq‑ft Remington data‑center campus proposal amid traffic, water and height concerns

Fauquier County planning staff presented a multi‑component application for a proposed Remington data‑center campus—referred to in materials as the Remington Data Centers/Giga Land package—that would require a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning of about 156 acres within the Remington service district to Business Park and multiple Category 20 special exceptions for utility infrastructure and a zoning waiver for access off Lucky Hill Road.

What was proposed: staff said the project contemplates about 2,200,000 square feet of data‑center space across seven two‑story buildings with a maximum structure height of 80 feet (65 feet to primary roof line plus up to 15 feet of parapet), new public infrastructure including an above‑ground water‑treatment facility, two new wells, a 500,000‑gallon water storage tank (preliminary drawings show about 110 feet but staff said additional modeling could push required height to 125–150 feet), and four 300‑MW substations with 230‑kV interconnections. The applicant proffered public benefits including a ladder truck for fire and rescue, more than $1 million for parks and heritage resources, and $500,000 for a homeowners association.

Community and technical concerns: staff estimated build‑out daily vehicle trips at about 2,285 per day (roughly a 427% increase on Lucky Hill Road and up to a 204–252% increase at certain frontages) with morning and afternoon peak hours approaching 300 and 250 trips respectively; staff noted these trip counts are operational (post‑construction) estimates and that construction and fill/excavation traffic would be higher but were not yet modeled. Commissioners raised multiple questions about comp‑plan consistency for the Remington service district, the extent of grading and fill (benching, cuts of 8–28 feet and fills of 6–20 feet in places), potential blasting, the unknown final height of the water tank, and whether the proposed 80‑foot building height is necessary and compatible with county policy that discourages tall structures in many locations.

Public comment and process: staff said as of the morning of the meeting it had received 179 letters, 42 in support and 137 in opposition; 54 of the opposition letters targeted this project specifically and 83 opposed all future data‑center proposals in Remington. Several commissioners said the package contains too much material to act on immediately and asked to postpone to allow time to review revised conditions and public comment; one commissioner said they did not feel prepared to vote and would ask for a deferral.

Why it matters: the package would meaningfully change land‑use composition inside the Remington service district, add high‑capacity utility infrastructure and large‑scale commercial buildings in a historically rural area, and carries potential transportation, visual, water‑supply and soil/terrain impacts requiring engineering studies and mitigation. County staff recommended consideration of comp‑plan amendment merits, data center policy consistency, building heights, water‑storage sizing and proffer adequacy.

Next steps: several commissioners indicated they would request postponement; staff noted the applicant had waived a one‑year automatic approval timeline but could rescind the waiver and revert to a shorter statutory deadline. The commission left the public hearing open for further comment and directed staff to incorporate clarifying information and revised conditions into the record for the Board of Supervisors to consider.