May 03, 2023 | Posted by MadalineDunn
Last week, QTS submitted the third draft of its plans for the controversial and hotly debated Prince William Digital Gateway to the Prince William County government. The updated plan shows the company's intention to increase the size of its proposed buildings. QTS has also requested a waiver to circumvent the requirement for a Special Use Permit for approval on certain aspects of the development.
According to QTS, the submission represents two and half years of "extensive due diligence" and over 1,500 pages of analyses, studies, and exhibits to "carefully consider every aspect of the Digital Gateway, address every request from county agencies," and document how it has met and exceeded the county's adopted CPA. QTS claims that it has remained sensitive to concerns regarding the Manassas National Battlefield and the Heritage Hunt community, which has been a big point of contention since the beginning.
In an effort to win over the many opposing parties in the county, the new plans also show that QTS intends to separate the massive campus from nearby residential neighborhoods, with 34 acres of forest, and feature an equestrian trailhead as well as plans for coordinated transportation improvements.
On Monday 2nd, data center developer QTS had planned to host an open house community meeting to review the submitted plans, however, it was canceled. According to Nick Blessing, Director of Public Policy at QTS Data Centers, the cancelation was due to the event venue being concerned about potential disruption from local advocates. The Coalition to Protect Prince William County, which has been vocal about its opposition, reportedly had plans to rally outside the meeting. This is the second QTS engagement event that has been canceled.
In a press release, The Coalition to Protect Prince William County Executive Director Elena Schlossberg said: "Apparently the Hilton in the Town of Haymarket doesn't want QTS either and thus informed them they were unwanted," said Schlossberg.
Adding: "The community recognizes QTS is employing typical developer tactics: wear down citizens, and take us away from our families and our regular lives, all in hopes that we will give up."
In QTS' community engagement event invitation, it referred to its "strong record" of being "a considerate, supportive, and sustainable neighbor."
According to QTS, the submission represents two and half years of "extensive due diligence" and over 1,500 pages of analyses, studies, and exhibits to "carefully consider every aspect of the Digital Gateway, address every request from county agencies," and document how it has met and exceeded the county's adopted CPA. QTS claims that it has remained sensitive to concerns regarding the Manassas National Battlefield and the Heritage Hunt community, which has been a big point of contention since the beginning.
In an effort to win over the many opposing parties in the county, the new plans also show that QTS intends to separate the massive campus from nearby residential neighborhoods, with 34 acres of forest, and feature an equestrian trailhead as well as plans for coordinated transportation improvements.
On Monday 2nd, data center developer QTS had planned to host an open house community meeting to review the submitted plans, however, it was canceled. According to Nick Blessing, Director of Public Policy at QTS Data Centers, the cancelation was due to the event venue being concerned about potential disruption from local advocates. The Coalition to Protect Prince William County, which has been vocal about its opposition, reportedly had plans to rally outside the meeting. This is the second QTS engagement event that has been canceled.
In a press release, The Coalition to Protect Prince William County Executive Director Elena Schlossberg said: "Apparently the Hilton in the Town of Haymarket doesn't want QTS either and thus informed them they were unwanted," said Schlossberg.
Adding: "The community recognizes QTS is employing typical developer tactics: wear down citizens, and take us away from our families and our regular lives, all in hopes that we will give up."
In QTS' community engagement event invitation, it referred to its "strong record" of being "a considerate, supportive, and sustainable neighbor."
