Earlier this week, Quality Technology Services (QTS), provider of the proposed data centers in western Prince William County, held an open house in Woodbridge to provide more information on the designs. Attended by supporters and opponents, the leadership of QTS answered questions from those in attendance.

Today, they released the third submission to the Board of County Supervisors. This morning, a backgrounder call was held by QTS officials where details of the submission was revealed. Below is a summary of the submission:

On November 1, 2022, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors adopted a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) for the Prince William Digital Gateway. The Digital Gateway represents one of the largest economic investments in Prince William County. On April 28, 2023, QTS Data Centers (QTS) will file its third submission to the Board of County Supervisors for development of this plan.

The submission represents 2.5 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 QTS has met and exceeded the county’s adopted CPA.

As outlined in the plan, the Prince William Digital Gateway is the most carefully planned, holistically designed, environmentally sensitive, and historically oriented data center campus in the country. QTS is a partner to the Prince William Community and is committed to providing benefits which will protect and enhance the county.

SUBMISSION HIGHLIGHTS

Viewshed Analysis

• QTS has completed a detailed viewshed analysis to ensure its buildings are not visible from 15 viewpoints within the Manassas Battlefield National Park, Heritage Hunt, and Catharpin Valley Estates to the northwest.

• In the adjoining Heritage Hunt, an area outside the CPA viewpoints requirement, QTS is proposed to preserve 34+ acres of permanently protected forest contiguous to the area. Even in the dead of winter, residents will not be able to view the data centers.

• The Comprehensive Plan only required 14 viewpoints, and QTS went above and beyond to include an additional sensitive Battlefield location in its analysis.

 Open Space

• 35+ percent of the 2,139 acres in the Prince William Digital Gateway will be preserved open space, consisting of significant tree save & stream preservation protection, reforestation, buffers, berms, and landscaping.

• Typical open space for this type of plan is 15 percent.

Historical Preservation

• ERM and WSSI have completed a combination of 19,000+ hand dug test pits throughout the entire corridor to ensure the preservation and enhancement of the noteworthy historical sites.

• QTS is creating a series of historical sites that don’t currently exist and are not publicly accessible. These sites will allow for public access and educational opportunities for Prince William County elementary, middle school, and high schoolers to learn a lot more about an area that’s currently not available to them.

Pageland Lane

• Pageland Lane is inadequate today because of regional and truck traffic. The Digital Gateway will reimagine and redesign this 4-mile corridor as a scenic parkway, with a goal of helping rectify the challenges that have existed for several years. This represented a $160 million, multi-year, multi-phased, transportation infrastructure investment.

• Improvements to Pageland Lane were required prior to development. The Digital Gateway development ensures the Pageland Lane is restricted to a local collector road as opposed to larger regional high-volume roadway.

• Rather than default to a series of typical, unattractive traffic-signal controlled intersections, QTS has crafted a scenic byway with seamless, landscaped roundabouts which will help alleviate regional commuter and truck traffic. The plan also includes 50 feet of landscaping buffering on either side of the greenway and shared use paths along either side of Pageland Lane.

Community Coordination

• This filing marks QTS’ third submission to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Over this time, QTS has had extensive coordination with all Prince William County Agencies, the National Park Service, Prince William County Historical Commission, and surrounding communities. 

• Since 2022, QTS has met at least once a quarter with the National Park Service.

• Over the past 18 months, QTS has met with county staff approximately once a week.

Legally Binding Commitments (Proffers)

• QTS’s submission includes over 40 pages of proffers, or legally binding commitments, related to:

• Tree/forest preservation and reforestation;

• Stream and waterways protection, restoration setbacks, storm water management enhancements, and erosion and sedimentation controls;

• Extending water and sewer to the north, which will be tapped for Catharpin Park;

• Commitments to create public and shared spaces to preserve and enhance previously private historical and cultural sites; and

• Wildlife corridor preservation.

More detail is on the 52-page PDF distributed by QTS. On Tuesday, May 2, QTS Data Centers is hosting a Community Outreach Event on the Prince William Digital Gateway project. It will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn at Haymarket, 15001 Washington Street, Haymarket, VA from 6:00pm – 8:30pm. For more information, please contact Nick DeSarno, ndesarno@narrativedc.com.