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Residents urge county to pause data center plans, demand transparency and public hearing
Summary
Dozens of Prince Edward County residents opposed a proposed 280-acre data center at the June board meeting, raising concerns about water use, forever chemicals, noise, light pollution and financial risk; staff said no site plan has been filed and the county is drafting performance standards.
Dozens of residents pressed the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors on June 9 to halt public spending and hold a formal public hearing before the county advances a proposed 280-acre data center at the Heartland Innovative Technology Park.
"Thirty jobs just doesn't get the damage that it's going to do to the water, to the environment," said Greg Fipps, who said the project would replace rural conservation land and warned that PFAS used in cooling systems are "forever chemicals" that could contaminate soil and drinking water. David Ferguson told the board the proposed campus would be about 300 megawatts and said the county has not shown residents what it will actually net financially. "How can one reservoir supply both safely?" he asked, citing a reported water draw of up to 5.5 million gallons per day.
Other speakers raised related concerns: Michelle Schumacher questioned the county's consulting arrangements and potential conflicts of interest, Jenny Macintosh warned of long-term financial risk if data centers become stranded assets, and Logan Galot said the county's $122.3 million infrastructure pledge could require taking private land and urged clarity on valuation and eminent-domain processes.
County Administrator Stanley told the board that the county amended its zoning ordinance in July 2020 to allow data centers by right in the C1 commercial district and rezoned approximately 280 acres for what is now the HIT Park, but he said staff have not received a site plan or formal development application. "To date, the county has not received a site plan or development application for the project," Stanley said, and staff are evaluating supplemental zoning regulations for noise mitigation, buffering, lighting, generator operations and water usage.
Several board members acknowledged residents' concerns and encouraged attendance at early-stage meetings, while also saying that the county has publicly posted previous hearings and actions related to the 2020 rezoning. Supervisor Emmer said he does not have all the answers but that staff and the IDA will continue to study industry standards and potential safeguards.
Residents asked specifically for a public hearing and for the board to pause any further public spending on infrastructure until water, power and fiscal protections are clarified on the record. The board did not take a formal vote to pause the project during the meeting; multiple supervisors said staff will continue research and return with potential regulatory language.
The county's next procedural step on data-center policy, according to staff comments, is the drafting and review of supplemental zoning regulations; no application materials or binding contracts were presented to the board at this meeting.
