On July 21st, 1861, Union and Confederate forces met head to head for the first battle of the Civil War at Bull Run, which would later become known as Manassas Battlefield. The two sides suffered 4,690 casualties and losses on that bloody day, kicking off a war which would end with at least 1,700,000 casualties in the fight to preserve the union and end slavery in the United States.
In the wee morning hours of July 21st, 2021, the Prince William County Democrat Board majority voted to initiate a comprehensive plan amendment to study the placement of a data center on portions of the battlefield within the Rural Crescent.
The plan, self-styled by beneficiaries as the “PWC Digital Gateway” would remove 802 acres from the Rural Crescent, including 107 located within the core of Manassas Battlefield for the building of up to 21,000,000 square feet of data centers. The 802 acres lies entirely outside of the overlay district carefully created by the county several years back for the placement of data centers.
Three dozen local residents came out to speak against the initiation of the CPA, not including the Manassas Battlefield Park Superintendent. Brandon Bies, while unable to take an official position on the CPA, made it as clear as possible that placing a data center atop hallowed grounds of the nation’s first civil war battle was not a prudent idea to pursue.
The CPA was approved by the board majority over the objections of the district supervisor representing the area, Pete Candland. Along with Supervisor Candland, Supervisors Lawson and Vega concurred with the Manassas Battlefield Superintendent’s advice. While Supervisors Angry, Bailey, Boddye, Franklin, and Wheeler held it in disregard and voted for the CPA. Prince William County’s Planning Office also supported the initiation.
16 landowners in the area have banded together to circumvent Prince William’s current zoning laws to push for the placement of the data center. Most, it not all of which spoke in favor of the CPA.
After an evaluation by county staff, the CPA will be reviewed by the planning commission before heading to the board of county supervisors for final approval. Landowners and developers would then need to receive approvals for rezonings and possibly special use permits, both of which would also need to be reviewed by both boards.
A coalition of six conservation groups, including the National Parks Conservation Association, Prince William Conservation Alliance and Piedmont Environmental Council, held a press conference ahead of the board meeting in opposition to the data center proposal.
Supervisor Candland made a motion to defer the vote until the county came back with the results of the board’s recent directive to explore future area suitable for data centers. The board majority, which pushed for the exploration just a few months back, rejected Supervisor Candland’s plea on a 5-3 vote.
Arguments by the board supervisors in favor of the study, which will undoubtedly result in the data center being approved, mainly revolved around the increased tax revenues the center would bring in to help grow the size and scope of Prince William County government.
In February of this year, the Democrat board majority voted to remove 40 acres from the Rural Crescent, abutting and within the legislative lines of Prince William’s other national park, Prince William National Forest, most likely for a data center.
Other jurisdictions around the country containing key civil war battlefields, such as Adams County, Pennsylvania, home of Gettysburg, have ordinances prohibiting industrial uses on the grounds upon which soldiers fought and died in the battle to end slavery and preserve the union.
– Coles District Staff