Residents urge Goochland to require independent studies, say proposed Tuckahoe Technology Park risks homes and water

Several residents and community representatives told the Goochland County Planning Commission on July 16 they are worried that a proposed hyperscale data center campus in the countys west end could harm nearby neighborhoods, strain utilities and create persistent noise and air-pollution risks.

Arnold Rosenberg, president of the Mosaic at West Creek Homeowners Association, said his 55-and-over community sits immediately adjacent to the area described in the Valco/Trac pre-application and urged the commission to demand objective evidence of compatibility before approving any zoning changes. "Conceptual plans, renderings, and predictive modeling are not substitutes for demonstrated performance in a comparable setting," Rosenberg said. He asked the commission to require "objective and independently verified evidence" about noise, water demand, and long-term operational impacts.

Public commenters raised a series of technical and procedural questions. Christy Payne, who reviewed the Valco Trac pre-application, said the proposal could comprise as many as 12 data center buildings with up to 900 megawatts of electrical demand. "Who are you approving? Trac is not a data center operator," she said, noting that future operators and their cooling and water-use technologies were not yet identified. Payne asked whether the county had considered performance bonds, enforcement mechanisms and the possible fiscal burden on residents if infrastructure upgrades are required.

Bruce Silverman, who described public-health concerns related to generator emissions and low-frequency noise, urged the commission to require an independent, health-focused air-quality analysis that models generator and on-site power-system emissions under normal and worst-case scenarios. "One generator may sound manageable. A campus of generators can become a public-health burden," he said, citing academic studies that link fine particulate matter to respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

Other speakers pressed the commission on water: several residents said large data centers can require substantial water for cooling and that much of eastern Goochland relies on private wells. "We need to know the projected water demand, the source of that water, and whether drought conditions or future expansion could create new pressure on local supplies," a resident said.

Speakers repeatedly asked for more complete documentation before any rezoning or permit recommendation: comparative examples of similarly sized campuses, independent noise and air studies, documentation from Dominion/PJM about how 900 MW would be served, and enforceable mitigation measures tied to operating permits or bonding. Several asked the commission to revisit the countys comprehensive plan and develop specific use standards for data centers rather than proceeding under a general industrial designation.

The Planning Commission did not vote on the Valco/Trac pre-application at the July 16 meeting. Staff and the commission reiterated that community meetings and follow-up hearings have been scheduled; staff emphasized that a pre-application does not constitute approval and that additional studies and public comment opportunities will follow.

The next procedural steps are community meetings and, if an application is filed, public hearings before the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors. Residents requested the county withhold any zoning changes until independent technical analyses are on the public record and available for review.