Charles City citizens continue to lambast Point One data center project

The ongoing saga between Charles City County’s Board of Supervisors and their constituents over a proposed data center project continued Tuesday night.

Citizens spoke out against the Point One proposed data center project at the county’s regular board meeting. Many of the constituents lodged complaints about the details of the project, saying how Point One is attempting to use the “by-right” zoning for data centers as a way to bypass citizens’ concerns.

“Point One ain’t your mother’s data center,” said Pat Davis. “You will see two turbine yards. When I asked about the number or type of turbines for those yards, I was told that information was unavailable. So I FOIA’d (Freedom of Information Act) it.

“What those plans don’t show you are the 35 gas-powered turbines providing power 24/7, 365,” she continued. “There are 275 diesel-powered generators, in addition to the shown gas facility, electrical substation, a new well drawing water from our aquifer, and six 50-foot tall buildings.

“This is far from a conventional data center campus,” Davis said as she wrapped up her comments. “Which brings us to an important question: If gas facilities, turbine yards, and electrical substations are not specifically permitted in M-1 or M-2 (light industrial) zoning, can they suddenly become accepted simply because they are attached to a data center? A data center which is considered permitted use only because of an ordinance amendment approved two years ago.”

Davis added that if the aforementioned facilities could be permitted in the M-1 or M-2 classification, then zoning ordinances and classifications no longer have meaning.

“Approving this site plan would set a precedent that any type of heavy industrial infrastructure can be introduced into the county simply by calling it something else,” she concluded.

“It is not a data center; it is a natural gas power plant being dressed up as a data center so that we will accept it,” commented Tracy Floyd. “We already defeated two gas power plants in that same area, so now they figured out a way to build it because they are calling it a data center.

“I have looked at the permits,” she continued. “It is referred to as a power plant repeatedly in the permits. This body has the power to do something about this.

“If we screw up on that and say this meets our ordinances, and it obviously doesn’t, it requires a special use permit, the power plant is not a by-right use,” Floyd added. “You can call it an accessory all you want, but when the predominant use is that it’s not an accessory and it’s huge.”

Brandi Morano addressed the board, saying the perception given to the public about data centers has been deceptive.

“For years, local government has been fed a narrative that data centers were just warehouses filled with computers,” she began. “However, today’s data center campuses are not just data centers; they are massive industrial infrastructure projects.

“In many cases, these projects are becoming energy production and distribution hubs,” Morano continued. “They’re not so much the technology facilities; that’s a façade.”

Morano added that citizens who live near the area need to have their concerns heard and conducted in public forums.

“Where is the respect for the citizens in this county and where is the respect for our resources?” she asked. “The stakes are too high to simply accept assurances without asking those questions.”

Morano questioned current Charles City County Administrator’s Keith Rogers Jr., pointing to his previous stints in other jurisdictions.

“Essentially, this is one of the largest projects for the county,” Jared Kline said, pointing to the lack of information regarding the Point One project in the agenda packet. “Citizens are owed this information, and it should be written out as such.”

Wanda Roberts ended the public comment period, referencing previous projects of proposed power plants being shot down and how Point One would need to find a gas supply for their project.

“Where is the fracked gas coming from?” she asked. “Pipelines bring them in. When we had the C4GT and Chickahominy power plant issue, they could not get a pipeline to this county to facilitate fracked gas to a power plant.

“Three were denied,” Roberts added. “I can assure you that I will help lead that again.”

After the public comment period, Rogers provided a few words regarding the Point One project.

“I just want to remind citizens that item appears on the agenda every month at the request of the board of supervisors,” the county administrator said. “The site plan is available for inspection. There is no update on the county’s position on this project and there is no approved site plan.

“Until such time there is an approved site plan, there is no position from the county in regards to a staff recommendation,” he concluded.