Residents urge historians’ review, tighter public notice as data‑center and quarry proposals advance

At a May Planning Commission meeting, several residents pressed county planners to enforce established review steps and give neighbors earlier notice before large projects move forward. "Why then did that Mountain Road Technology Park not go before the historical commission?" asked Holly Manky of Friends of Hanover, citing county records she said reserve a half‑acre for a historic cemetery on the Marchetti property.

Manky and other commenters raised two recurring complaints: they say developers have sometimes failed to complete or respond to historical or technical reviews, and residents have learned of proposals too late to prepare comments. "I was not informed early on that [the Route 1 small area plan] was happening," Cassandra Ziegler told the commission, asking for earlier, legally viable notice so property owners can respond.

Environmental and quality‑of‑life concerns were also central. "Data centers are known to heat the air around them," Amy Mendelson said, listing risks for waterways and local ecology and urging proffers tied to local hiring and stronger environmental protections. Several speakers asked the county to require applicants to answer technical questions — on water, traffic, and rail spur dimensions for quarry proposals — before any zoning recommendation is made.

Commissioners took no immediate regulatory action on those public comments but heard repeated requests for clearer procedures, earlier notifications and full technical responses from applicants. Staff said the county is working to add case‑level information to the online GIS and make approvals and active zoning cases easier to find, a step they said is in progress.