A proposed 99-acre data center in Stafford County, Virginia, has been put on hold after local officials raised concerns about a 200-year-old cemetery reportedly belonging to enslaved people, local outlet WJLA reported.
The decision comes as Northern Virginia faces increasing resistance to the major transmission infrastructure needed to power the region's fast-growing cluster of data centers.
What happened?
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors paused the Eskimo Hill Road proposal and directed the developer to hire an archaeological consultant for burial-site and family-history research.
"My mother is in an unmarked grave, so this is very important to me," Stafford County Board Chairman Deuntay Diggs said, according to WJLA. "I could not support it if we were going to do anything outside of protecting that."
The pause comes even as Stafford and neighboring Spotsylvania County continue drawing new data center proposals. Stafford has approved five data centers that are now under construction, with about twice that number still in the pipeline.
At the same time, Dominion Energy has proposed two high-voltage lines spanning about 70 miles through Stafford, Spotsylvania, Louisa, Caroline, and Fauquier counties.
TCD Picks » Good Store Spotlight
Get 10% off your next purchase with code TCD10
Residents told WJLA that they worry the lines could cross school properties, take down mature trees, and tower over nearby backyards.
"It will cause pain and suffering due to the fact that it will take away our quality of life living here," Stafford County resident Stephanie Mojica told the outlet.
Why does it matter?
While data centers can bring in tax revenue and support digital infrastructure, they can also reshape neighborhoods, complicate land-use decisions, and spur new energy projects with major local consequences.
Other residents said they are worried about property values, visual blight, and potential health effects associated with large transmission corridors.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
There is also a broader energy issue behind the debate: Data centers are a core part of the infrastructure that powers AI, cloud computing, and online services. But the facilities behind them can also consume enormous amounts of electricity and water. That demand can strain the grid, increase the need for new transmission lines, raise utility costs, and create security or misuse concerns if development outpaces planning.
The debate also raises questions about whether communities are being fairly compensated for the impacts they take on.
Loudoun County Supervisor Kristen Umstattd argued that Stafford and Spotsylvania may be underselling themselves through lower tax rates even as those counties absorb more of the burden.
What's being done?
The Stafford project will not move forward until the required burial-ground research is completed. The delay gives local officials more time to decide whether the site can be developed without damaging a historically significant cemetery, according to WJLA.
Some local leaders are also pushing for tighter oversight of future data center development. Spotsylvania recently passed a resolution that would require data centers to seek a special-use permit so staff and residents can weigh in on location and design.
Umstattd urged Stafford and Spotsylvania leaders not to "undervalue what you have," while Spotsylvania County Planning Commission member Scott Phelps said, "We're a bargain basement dwelling here."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
