On Tuesday, Nov. 21, many of us will be preparing for Thanksgiving – maybe making pumpkin pies, cleaning our house or grabbing those last few cans of yams from the store.
Others will be on the road, starting their getaway for the long holiday weekend.
But if Prince William County Board Chair Ann Wheeler has her way, that day will go a long way toward determining the future of our county. Wheeler has asked county staff to schedule a public hearing that day – two days before Thanksgiving – on two rezoning proposals for QTS Realty Trust to build data centers on 876 acres along Pageland Lane. The massive project would be part of the PW Digital Gateway, for which supervisors approved a Comprehensive Plan Amendment last November.
Wheeler says her hand was forced because QTS invoked a section of Virginia law that requires a rezoning case to be heard within a year of being filed – in this case, that was last summer. At the same time, she says she pushed the hearing out a few months to give county staff as much time as possible to review the application.
Here’s why this is poor timing. For starters, this hearing will be held as most people are thinking more about drumsticks than data centers. Many residents who would want to speak either in support or opposition of the plan may have to postpone or change their holiday plans, especially if they involve travel.
Of course, politics is at play here. Conveniently, Nov. 21 is two weeks AFTER the election when the occupants of all eight seats on the Board of County Supervisors will be decided for the next four years. That means that no sitting board member has to worry about his or her vote on the QTS rezoning being considered – one way or the other – by voters on Nov. 7.
But, also conveniently, it is about six weeks BEFORE the new board members elected on Nov. 7 actually begin their terms. Wheeler, who supports the data center expansion, knows she controls the current board’s Democrats, who have a 5-3 edge. The makeup of the new board is uncertain, and it definitely won’t include Wheeler, who lost her renomination bid in June.
Whether you think the PW Digital Gateway is an abomination or a boon for the county, the debate has been fraught with perceptions that supporters are trampling on the wishes of the community. Perception is reality, as Lee Atwater taught us. Scheduling this critical vote during the board’s “lame duck” period – and on a holiday week, nonetheless – only feeds that perception.
And the only things we should be fed on Thanksgiving are turkey and football.
(16) comments
This article speaks of trampling of the majority of citizens desires. What a laugh, like a previous post stated 90% of the county had no feelings about the data centers. The editorial leans to the Heritage Hunt side of the story which is their own desired outcome. The county needs the corporate revenue from the Data Centers not more residential housing. Residential housing will be a burden on the county and cost us more money.
Housing people is a burden? Is this Custer's last stand?
More Housing instead of Data Centers is a burden to the county and its resources. Mr Bill, I don't want you turning the county into the disaster you left at TSA. TSA is now the worst agency in the government. Should I say, Thank you for your service?
Having a loud mouth, doesn't get respect.
I left TSA in January 2012 after serving in their Workforce Analysis, Research and Metrics division. Are you suggesting that my work of over eleven years ago is somehow responsible for whatever current gripe you have with that agency? And that I am somehow empowered to impart that on county government?
Are you actually researching my background? This is getting creepy. Let me know when you get back to my high school girlfriends.
And if you are going to cast groundless aspersions, at least stay on topic.
Mr Bill, you have attacked verbally the Democrats on the Board of County Supervisors for the last 2 years. Now, you think it's getting creepy? Your group of cronies through Lawsuits and the (Republican) leaning Prince William Times
have spread misinformation and ridiculed the Democratic board. Bill, your groups techniques of bullying and spreading misinformation has been used by Trump and Putin against their opposition. Like Trump the rich Country Club golf course community knows what's best ( Heritage Hunt).
Trump stated ( The virus will die in April, it doesn't like the heat). It's creepy being you, Bill!
You nailed it, Jeff. I'm getting my advice straight from Trump and Putin.
Jeff, you just can't get over the fact that the people in Heritage Hunt are not only concerned about the PWDG but are concerned about the 60 data center buildings already rezoned for Wester PWC plus the additional 14 in Devlin Technology Park, 5 on the Gardner Property, and 30+ next door to you in the PW Digital Gateway. You just have never been able to wrap your head around that. Don't start on us "privileged, golf course loving" members. You don't think your neighbors there with their McMansions on those 10 acre lots is not the same? What's in it for you, Jeff? And, no, you're not going to see revenue from these PWDG centers for many years.
Gainesville Crossing Data Centers which are just outside MNBP we’re also approved by a lame duck BOCS in December of the last year. Lawson cast deciding vote. Some of y’all just don’t want to hear the truth.
You are re-affirming the argument that “lame duck” decisions are bad. Bad then and bad now. We can both embrace that truth.
No Bill I’m not. I’m showing there has been a precedent for outgoing BOCS to continue to do the county’s business throughout their entire term.
Here’s more inconvenient truth for you.
The problem with “lame duck” decisions was recognized in Supervisor Kenny Boddye’s Resolution 20-175 of February 4, 2020, which stated: “The Board shall not conduct public hearings on residential land use matters and/or land use matters of mixed use with a residential component, including applications for special use permits, rezonings, and Comprehensive Plan Amendments, during the intervening period between the general election for the Board seats and the seating of the new Board.”
That resolution was approved unanimously by the current Board and has been incorporated in the current BOCS rules of procedure as Section G, paragraph 3.a.
The real truth is our Democratic supervisors have convenient amnesia when their own recommendation and adopted policy doesn’t serve their current agenda.
Our “friends” at QTS / Blackstone are working overtime to ingratiate themselves with their prospective host community. QTS obviously believes we locals appreciate having our elected officials co-opted and turned against us so a noxious and inappropriately sited industrial development can be shoved down our throats.
For our Board of County Supervisors to conspire with these corporate predators in such a cowardly fashion by holding a consequential vote during a lame duck session two days before Thanksgiving is contemptible. So, what’s new?
Ann Wheeler is deservedly toast for her thoroughly deplorable tactics, which she is determined to wield until her last day in office. Her four accomplices (Kenny Boddye, Margaret Franklin, Andrea Bailey and Victor Angry) must resolve to free themselves from her orbit and pave a more positive path forward. They can either pull back from the precipice and pivot toward a more citizen-friendly agenda or bear accountability for the impending disaster they are about to foist upon us.
The term railroading is defined as: “to force passage or acceptance of something, especially legislation, by an authoritative body with such haste and pressure that the standard considerations of its implications are avoided or ignored”.
The editorial board of Inside NOVA recognizes railroading when it sees it.
You will soon have an opportunity to pass judgment on the elected officials who led this Trojan horse to our gates. Make your vote count, starting on September 22nd. And tell QTS to ride their horse out of town.
"Trampling on the wishes of the community" of which 91.8% didn't care to vote in the primaries. So which community's wishes are being trampled? It's not the county population since almost 92 out of 100 people don't care about data centers, at least not enough to vote. Are we talking about the vocal and very small minority who have already been heard far beyond what would be proportional for months and years now?
Go ahead, enjoy another marathon public hearing and then complain that it didn't magically sway any of the Democrats' votes. Don't forget to also complain that the PWDG supporters weren't able to sway any of the Republicans' votes. These votes thankfully aren't decided by last minute debates among a handful of biased citizens, they are decided by countless hours of real work by real professionals among county staff and all the various businesspeople and third parties involved. Well that and party lines.
Of course, this is how the cronies operate. Wheeler is bitter as can be and has an axe to grind. Plus, she may have some career opportrunities if she gets her way.
Ann Wheeler had a successful career long before the BoS (unlike Lawson and Vega) and will continue do well after (way more than GS15 money).
PWC needs tax revenue. That is the only way we can hire more teachers and police. The alternative is higher property taxes. Which may not be bad as it will chase away the remaining Deplorables in PWC.
But why pageland? It's too rural and too near the national park. Where's the power coming from? Dominion already said they can't meet the demand. That means diesel generators 24/7 in the summer. Lovely.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.