Remarks to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors: June 28, 2022

My name is Bill Wright and I live in Gainesville.  I oppose the Prince William Digital Gateway. 

I applaud Peter Cary’s thorough analysis of the recently released Targeted Industry Land Needs Analysis from Camoin Associates in the June 23^rd edition of the Prince William Times.  Advocates and opponents of data center development will try to cherry-pick aspects they believe will support their case, so it’s helpful to have it all spelled out.

The land availability section of the report does little more than parrot back false and subjective assertions from the County that have been repeatedly disproven.  The author concurred: “Two-thirds of its cited references are Prince William County land-use studies, and the first listed reference is the controversial May 2021 Data Center Market Viability Review prepared by the economic development office.”

The Camoin report based its projected buildout capacity on an assumed floor area ratio, or FAR, of 0.2.  But the average FAR (density) of most recently approved projects in the County is closer to 0.5. The article cites that if a more realistic FAR assumption was used “the county’s buildout capacity in square feet would be doubled.”

 

Contrast Camoin’s understated buildout forecast with hard reality.  Peter Cary’s May 12^th article challenged county assertions about limited land availability for data center development and stated: “the county’s totals could reach 40 to 60 million square feet.”  The county has already blown past that lower 40 million square foot threshold just with what’s currently operating and under development.  That doesn’t include undetermined square footage for projects already approved, additional capacity that can be built out within the overlay district and other potential projects outside the overlay district.  And the county has still not articulated its end goal for data center development.  Is there a plan or just a mindless feeding frenzy?  

 

Even if you accept the Camoin report’s high demand projection of 48 million square feet, approval of the Prince William Digital Gateway would develop data center capacity well in excess of what the market can support.  Are we really going to wreak such extensive environmental havoc to build white elephants?  Who’s running this railroad?  And who’s riding in the club car?

 

The correct answer hasn’t changed.  Develop data centers in the designated overlay district and resist the contrived arguments of financially conflicted proponents for unnecessary and irresponsible development.