Thank You, Neighbors!

Your actions stopped the rezoning proposal.

In a positive development for the community, the developer of Plaza 500 requested an "indefinite deferral" on the rezoning application and the Planning Commission voted to grant this request. We must keep watching, but you helped Save Bren Mar today.

"Indefinitely Deferred"

At the meeting of the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Wednesday, November 16, the applicant requested an indefinite deferral on the rezone application, and the commission voted to accept the deferral. 

"Last night I informed the applicant's counsel that I intended to offer a motion that the Board of Supervisors deny this application," said Mason District Planning Commissioner Strandlie prior to the vote. "Soon thereafter, the applicant via their attorney notified me that they had decided to forego a decision on the application and would instead request an indefinite deferral."

"This means that the application does not go on to the Board of Supervisors and, at a later date if the applicant wishes to proceed with the same application, a new planning commission hearing will be needed to be scheduled and advertised and another public engagement process, or the applicant could choose to withdraw the application, or the applicant could submit another application."

In recognizing the community's input, Commissioner Strandlie said, "The staff raised concerns, the community strongly opposed, the City of Alexandria contacted staff to express concern, the Mason District Land Use Committee asked me to recommend the denial, and I did not detect any support among my fellow commissioners for this application that is now before us. During the deferral we also heard from dozens of neighbors who were opposed to the application." 

Press Coverage

• Data Center Dynamics, Fairfax Residents Block Suspected Data Center in Alexandria, Virginia (Nov. 18, 2022)

• Data Center Knowledge, Fairfax County Residents Push Back on Data Center Zoning (Nov. 17, 2022)

• FOX 5 Washington DC, Fairfax County Residents Organize Against Data Center Rezoning (Nov. 16, 2022)

• Data Center Dynamics, Residents Protest Suspected Data Center Plan in Alexandria, Virginia (Nov. 16, 2022)

• Alexandria Living Magazine, Bren Mar Residents Concerned About Data Center Possibility (Nov. 15, 2022)

• Annandale Today, Residents Oppose Industrial Rezoning (Oct. 29, 2022)

Next Steps

The Bren Mar and Alexandria communities remain concerned about future efforts to further industrialize Plaza 500, including a data center. We’re ecstatic at the decision to essentially defer this application indefinitely, however our concern long term is it is not a complete denial. So, what does that mean down the road? We will all be watching it very closely.

What You Need to Know

The Fairfax County Planning Commission will make a decision on November 16 about zoning changes that could permit a massive industrial data center or greater industrial use at the site of Plaza 500.

This potential data center would be in the heart of our residential community, less than 300 feet from many residents. A data center could have a negative impact on our community: creating noise and light disturbance 24 hours a day 7 days a week, requiring very high energy and water use, emitting potentially harmful pollutants, and impacting property values.

Such a massive data center or any greater industrial use could drastically change the community and cut off access to future mixed use development (PDF)! Our community anticipates positive residential and retail development over the coming years with the redevelopment of Landmark Mall and Van Dorn Street. A data center would be a permanent eyesore among other residential developments, amenities, and positive growth.

Please join your neighbors and tell the Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to OPPOSE rezoning of Plaza 500 to permit a massive industrial data center in our community. 

What is it? Data centers are industrial complexes that house acres of computer systems for storing virtual information. Massive infrastructure must be built to support these complexes, including transmission, water, and sewer lines. Data centers are slated to account for a fifth of the world's electricity usage and more than 3% of carbon emissions by 2025. In 2020, data centers consumed an estimated 174 billion gallons of water. A 15-megawatt data center can use up to 360,000 gallons of water a day.

National Parks Conservation Association, Keep Massive Industrial Data Centers Away from our National Parks

LOCAL COMMUNITY

references

• Fairfax County Planning Commission

• Plaza 500 Rezoning Application RZ 2022-MA-00001 (PDF)

  • • Oct. 26 Public Hearing Video (starts at 50:24 minute mark)

    • Owner's Endorsement (PDF) and Application Affidavit (PDF) showing ownership by Starwood Capital Group and partners from Starwood Opportunity Funds.

Data Center Evidence

• Washington Business Journal: Starwood Capital Group building data center in Herndon (2021)

  • • Special Exemption Application SE 2021-SU-00017 (PDF) for Herndon data center buildings to be 102 feet tall and showing between 773 feet and 1063 feet distance from homes.

    • Application Affidavit (PDF) showing ownership by Starwood Capital Group and partners from Starwood Opportunity Funds.

• Washington Business Journal: "As data center land prices approach $3 million per acre in Ashburn and the Dulles corridor, developers are pursuing less expensive avenues in the likes of Prince William and Fauquier counties and, now, southeastern Fairfax."

Data Center Concerns

• Prince William Times: Fairfax County staff asks Prince William officials to rethink data center plan (Mar. 10, 2022)

• Baxtel: Noise pollution from Prince William data center riles locals (July 22, 2022)

• Fauquier Times: Manassas neighborhood battles noise from data centers (Aug. 24, 2022) (600 feet from homes; Bren Mar neighbors would be less than 300 feet from building)

• Data Center Frontier: Loudoun County Passes New Rules to Limit Data Center Growth (Oct. 5, 2022)

Community Letters to Planning Commission

• Bren Pointe Community Letter 1 (October 26, 2022)

• Bren Pointe Community Letter 2 (November 10, 2022)

Q&A

What is the proposed zoning change?

The land is currently split with one I-3 zone (light industry) and one I-5 zone (general industry). The I-3 portion borders Edsall Road and is a mix of offices and storefronts. The I-5 portion has warehouses. The owner is asking the County to rezone the entire property as I-5 to allow general industrial uses on the entire property.

How do you know it is a data center?

The owner won't say, but all the signs point in that direction. At a public hearing, the owner claimed to want flexibility for the future. It says it has no plans at this time, but also will not agree to future public hearings or any restrictions for a data center. The owner is building other data centers in the County. We must assume the worst case scenario to save our community.

Could the land be used for purposes other than a data center?

Yes, and those are equally bad options for the community. If the I-5 zone is expanded, the land could host more heavy vehicle repair and maintenance, a bigger freight distribution hub, a storage yard and impound lot, or a recycling center. More noise and traffic from increased industrial use is a move backwards for the area.

Could a data center be built without rezoning?

It would be a very challenging civil engineering problem without a clear solution, according to County staff. The size of the data center would be significantly limited because of restrictions in an I-3 zone, which also require all equipment to be enclosed in the building. An I-5 zone does not have the same restrictions under subsection 4102.6.A of the Zoning Ordinance.

Who is organizing the Save Bren Mar effort?

Local concerned private residents. We are not affiliated with any group, organization, or company. Contact us at brenmar@googlegroups.com to get involved.