Jul 25, 2023 | Posted by MadalineDunn
On July 18th, the Town of Culpeper Planning Commission held a public hearing where it deferred action on a rezoning request for a large data center complex adjacent to the Culpeper National Cemetery annex.
Copper Ridge Culpeper LLC of Middleburg is seeking to rezone 116 acres along East Chandler Street from Residential-2 to Industrial. The application outlines plans for a 116-acre data center campus with eight two-story (up to 70 ft tall) data center buildings, totalling 2.36 million sq ft, and an on-site substation.
The site is situated within the town's Technology Zone, which offers incentive grants to technology businesses.
Piedmont Environmental has shared its opposition to the development for a number of reasons, including noise concerns, which it said could "decrease property values, and create undesirable conditions for other uses like parks or cemeteries." Further, it noted the development's visibility from both the local cemetery and neighborhoods, the former, which it notes is "the final resting place of over 7,500 veterans."
In addition to this, as is often a cause for concern regarding data center developments, the PEC also criticized its power usage demands and what this might mean for transmission line upgrades: "Often, the approval of massive data center campuses is followed by transmission line upgrades or new builds, which further support even more data center development. These upgrades and/or new lines are built at the expense of ratepayers in the form of higher energy bills, rather than by data center developers."
Adding: "We are concerned that such an explosive increase in energy demand in this area will result in new transmission lines cutting through private land and potentially impacting sensitive environmental, recreational and historic resources throughout the County."
The planners ultimately voted to defer action until their next regular meeting in August.
Copper Ridge Culpeper LLC of Middleburg is seeking to rezone 116 acres along East Chandler Street from Residential-2 to Industrial. The application outlines plans for a 116-acre data center campus with eight two-story (up to 70 ft tall) data center buildings, totalling 2.36 million sq ft, and an on-site substation.
The site is situated within the town's Technology Zone, which offers incentive grants to technology businesses.
Piedmont Environmental has shared its opposition to the development for a number of reasons, including noise concerns, which it said could "decrease property values, and create undesirable conditions for other uses like parks or cemeteries." Further, it noted the development's visibility from both the local cemetery and neighborhoods, the former, which it notes is "the final resting place of over 7,500 veterans."
In addition to this, as is often a cause for concern regarding data center developments, the PEC also criticized its power usage demands and what this might mean for transmission line upgrades: "Often, the approval of massive data center campuses is followed by transmission line upgrades or new builds, which further support even more data center development. These upgrades and/or new lines are built at the expense of ratepayers in the form of higher energy bills, rather than by data center developers."
Adding: "We are concerned that such an explosive increase in energy demand in this area will result in new transmission lines cutting through private land and potentially impacting sensitive environmental, recreational and historic resources throughout the County."
The planners ultimately voted to defer action until their next regular meeting in August.
