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THE SPECIAL[Special Planning and Zoning on July 29, 2026]
MEETING ON JULY 29TH, 2046.COULD I A ROLL CALL? COMMISSIONER NER.
UH, VICE CHAIRMAN MARRAZZO HERE WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE COURT, AND I UNDERSTAND ONE PERSON HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR THE FIRST SECTION OF PUBLIC HEARING, NOT RELATED TO, OR PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARING.
SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND READ THIS SECTION HERE.
WE'RE NOW AT THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION IN THE EVENING.
I'D LIKE TO OVER A FEW RULES FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
THIS SECTION IS FOR LAND USE ITEMS RELATED ITEMS, EXCUSE RELATED ITEMS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARING PORTION.
ON THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, I ASK YOU TO DIRECT ALL YOUR COMMENTS TO P COMMISSION.
PLEASE DO NOT ADDRESS THE STAFF OR OTHER SPEAKERS TIMELY.
PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE, MINISTER LESS AND RELEVANT TO THE TOPIC, HAND THIS RESPECT OR UNCURIOUS LANGUAGE ACTION FOR HAPPY COLLEGE.
AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT'S ONE SIGN UP, WHAT YOUR, YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME.
UM, UH, I AM KEVIN CUTBACK OF ONE 12 RE AVE.
UH, I'M A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW, AND I'M HERE, UH, TO SUGGEST THAT THE BOARD AND PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE A JOINT MEETING BECAUSE WE ARE FACED WITH KIND OF THE SAME, WE WORK FROM THE SAME SECTION OF CODE.
WE WORK FROM THE SAME LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE.
UH, THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IS TECHNICALLY A ZONING OVERLAY ANYWAY, SO WE ARE DOING ZONING ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, UM, IT IS, IT'S THE SAME CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER DANIEL WELLS, WHO HAS TO GO OUT, WHETHER HE'S MEASURING NOISE FROM A DATA CENTER OR LOOKING FOR VINYL WINDOWS ON AN OLD HOUSE.
AND OUR, THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED AS AN INDIVIDUAL ON THAT BOARD IS AROUND ENFORCEMENT.
WHERE THE WAY THE RULES ARE SET UP RIGHT NOW, WE, WE LASH BACK AND FORTH IF WE, UH, BEING SOFT AND BEING HARD ASSES, IF I CAN USE A TECHNICAL TERM.
UH, AND IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO STRUCTURE THE RULES BETTER, WE HAVE THE SAME NEED TO BALANCE THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUAL OWNERS VERSUS THE COMMON GOOD.
AND I DON'T THINK THE, THE, THE RULES FOR EITHER OF US ARE SET UP WELL TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE.
SO I KNOW THIS WILL ULTIMATELY BE BETWEEN CHAIRMAN OF THE TWO BOARDS, BUT I, THIS IS, I'D LIKE TO PUT THE IDEA INTO YOUR HEADS, UH, FOR SOME SORT OF JOINT MEETING WHERE WE TALK ABOUT HOW ZONING ACTUALLY GETS ENFORCED AND HOW VIOLATORS, WHETHER IT'S VINYL WINDOWS OR SOME MONSTROSITY ACTUALLY WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING TO A, A, A SETTLEMENT THAT MAKES THE TOWN BETTER.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING SECTION NOT RELATED TO THE AGENDA? FOLLOW THAT TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A ONE, UM, ONE TRICK COMMENT, ONE THING ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS 2 5 0 0 3 4 5 IN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN CODE 1 7 5 DASH THREE DEFINITIONS TO DEFINE DATA CENTERS AND REDIFY TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS AND TOWN CODE 1 7 5 DASH FIVE 3.10 AND 1 7 5 1 7 5 DASH FIVE FIVE AND 1 7 5 DASH SIX FIVE TO PROHIBIT CREATIVE CENTERS AS A USE TO THE MIXED CAMPUS.
NEXT, USE CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT MCD DISTRICT, THE I ONE LIMITED INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AND THE I TWO INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, THE TOWN.
AND JUST IN ADDITION, THE TOWN'S ALREADY SET THE POLICY DIRECTION, THE DIRECTION FROM THE TOWN COUNCIL STAFF PLANNING COMMISSIONS TO PREPARE THAT ALTERNATIVE ZONING TAX AMENDMENT AND DEFINE THE PROHIBITED DATA CENTERS OF THE TOWN OF PALM ROYAL.
MR. WARE, DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? SO, JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY ESTABLISHED BY THE GOVERNING BODY PURSUANT VIRGINIA CODE 15 2 22 10.
SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS SPECIFIC POWERS RELATED TO INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS ON LEGISLATIVE MATTERS, SUCH AS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AMENDMENT, ZONING, TAX, AMENDMENT ZONING, MAP AMENDMENTS, AND SPECIAL USE PERMITS.
AND THE COMMISSION ACTS AS AN ADVISORY ROLE TO THE TOWN COUNCIL AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON COMMUNITY GROWTH, LAND USE ISSUES, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, SO WE'RE ON A TIMEFRAME HERE ON JUNE 22ND TOWN COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO PREPARE AND RETURN TO COUNCIL WITHIN
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60 DAYS, A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT, DEFINING DATA CENTERS VERSUS TECHNOLOGY AND PROHIBITING DATA CENTERS WITHIN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AND ALL ZONING DISTRICTS.SO YOUR BYLAWS UNDER ARTICLE SEVEN, YOUR REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL BE HELD ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH IN THE WARREN COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER AT 7:00 PM OR AT TIME OR PLACED DESIGNATED BY THE COMMISSION AT A REGULAR MEETING OR AS ADVERTISED.
SO YOU MEET ONCE A MONTH ON A REGULAR MEETING AT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER.
BUT SPECIAL MEETINGS AND OR WORKING SESSIONS MAY BE CALLED BY THE CHAIRPERSON, WHICH THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING OR BY TWO MEMBERS UPON WRITTEN REQUEST IS SECRETARY, THE WORK SESSIONS AND SPECIAL MEETINGS REQUIRE A QUORUM, UH, WITHIN 15 2 22 0 4 OF THE STATE CODE.
THE LOCAL PLANNING COMMISSION SHALL NOT RECOMMEND NOR THE GOVERNING BODY ADOPT ANY PLAN, ORDINANCE, OR AMENDMENT THEREOF UNTIL THE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DO SO HAS BEEN PUBLISHED TWICE IN SOME NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED OR HAVING A GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE LOCALITY WITH THE FIRST NOTICE APPEARING NO IN 28 DAYS BEFORE.
AND THE SECOND NOTICE APPEARING NO LESS THAN FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF THE MEETING REFERENCED IN THE NOTICE.
SO WITH THIS TIMEFRAME, THE COUNCIL GAVE YOU 60 DAYS TO COME UP WITH THE TEXT AMENDMENT.
YOUR MEETING'S ONLY HELD ONCE A MONTH, THEREFORE, HENCE WE HAD TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING CALLED THE MEETING IN AUGUST WOULD BE RIGHT AT THE PERIOD OF THE 60 DAYS.
AND WITH A SPECIAL MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE INFORMATION THE PUBLIC GIVES YOU TO MAKE A DECISION ON YOUR VOTING.
SO THE, UH, TAX AMENDMENT, UH, FOR THE DISTRICTS, THOSE IN DARK BLUE, UH, LOCATED AT THE CORNER THERE, DARK BLUE AND LIGHT BLUE.
THOSE ARE I TWO AND I ONE ZONING DISTRICTS WITH AN MCD DISTRICT HERE.
AND OVER HERE ON THE LEFT, UH, THE I TWO AND THE MCD THERE.
SO THOSE ARE THE DISTRICTS THAT COME INTO PLAY.
UH, ALSO THE LIGHT BLUE, THEIR LONG COMMERCE AVENUE IS DESIGNATED AS THE I ONE.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE DISTRICTS THAT IT WOULD PERTAIN TO.
UH, THE ONE DISTRICT IS A MISUSE MIXED USE CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT OR THE MCB DISTRICT.
AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT ON PART OF YOUR AMENDMENT IS UNDER 1 75, 53 10, UH, CHANGE THAT TO USE REGULATIONS.
THEN YOU HAVE A CATEGORY UNDER A FOR BY RIGHT? YOU ALSO HAVE A CATEGORY ALREADY LISTED BY SPECIAL PER, UH, USE PERMIT UNDER B AND UNDER C YOU WOULD BE ADDING PROHIBITED.
THE FOLLOWING USES ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN THE MCD, THE MIXED USE CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
AND UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL SECTION DATA CENTERS IN THE LIMITED INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, THE I ONE, WE WOULD BE STRIKING USE PERMITTED BY RIGHT AND ADDING USE REGULATIONS.
I ONE, WE WOULD HAVE AN BY RIGHT CATEGORY A, A SPECIAL USE CATEGORY UNDER B STRIKING 1 57, 56 AT THIS POINT.
AND ADDING C PROHIBITED, THE FOLLOWING USES ARE PROHIBITED IN THE I ONE UNDER INDUSTRIAL DATA CENTERS.
THEN 1 75 56 WOULD BE RESERVED IN THE TOWN CODE, IN THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
IN THE I TWO, WE WOULD BE, UH, HAVING THE, WHICH IS ALREADY THERE, THAT BY RIGHT USES B SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
AND THEN WE'D BE ADDING C PROHIBITED.
THE FOLLOWING USES ARE PROHIBITING THE I TWO UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL SECTION DATA CENTERS.
SO THOSE ARE THE CHANGES TO THE TEXT AMENDMENT TO THOSE THREE SECTIONS.
YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET OF STAFF REPORT WITH THE DEFINITIONS, THEY ARE RATHER LENGTHY, UH, FOUR PAGES ON THE DEFINITION OF DATA CENTER ALONE, PLUS OTHER DEFINITIONS THAT ARE INHERENT TO THE DEFINITION OF DATA CENTERS.
WE DID NOT INCLUDE THAT IN THE PACKET OR IN THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
WE HAD TWO WORK SESSIONS TO DISCUSS THIS.
UH, SO FOR THE TIME WE'LL GIVE IT SUMMARY ON THE, UH, THE DATA CENTER TEXT EXPLANATION.
SO WHAT THE DATA CENTER TAX AMENDMENT DOES, IT DEFINES DATA CENTERS AS AN INDUSTRIAL USE
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FACILITY.SO UNDER THE DEFINITION, IT'LL LIST THAT AS AN INDUSTRIAL USE, HENCE THE I ONE I TWO AND MCD IS THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT ALLOW AN INDUSTRIAL USE.
SO THOSE THREE DISTRICTS WOULD BE LISTED AND THAT USE WOULD BE PROHIBITED.
SO IT PROHIBITS THEM IN THE I ONE, THE I TWO AND MCD.
IT MODIFIES THE DEFINITION OF TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS TO EXCLUDE DATA CENTERS.
IT ADDS THE DEFINITION OF DATA CENTER PLUS SEVERAL OTHER ONES, N 1 75 3 UNDER THE HIGH PERFORMANCE, THE CRITICAL IT LOAD AND OTHER TERMS FOR THE DEFINITIONS.
SO BASICALLY WITH THE DEFINITIONS, YOU HAVE TO THINK THE DEFINITIONS ARE YOUR FRIEND.
YOU NEED TO DEFINE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE WANTING TO PROHIBIT OR TO ANY USE BY RIGHT OR SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO THE, WHAT IT COUNTS IS THE DATA.
SO THE CORE DEFINITION IS DELIBERATELY BROAD AND FUNCTION BASED.
BASICALLY ANY FACILITY WHICH UTILIZE PRIMARILY FOR THE STORAGE, MANAGEMENT, PROCESSING, HOSTING, AND TRANSMISSION OF VISUAL DATA.
SO THERE'S FOUR OBJECTIVES WITHIN THE DEFINITION.
UH, THE POWER DEMAND WOULD BE GREATER THAN 500 KILOWATTS.
UH, THE BACKUP OR STANDBY POWER WOULD BE GREATER THAN 500 KILOWATTS, AND THE SPECIALIZED COOLING WOULD BE GREATER THAN 50 KILOWATTS.
THOSE, ANY OF THOSE THREE THAT WOULD FIT IN THAT CATEGORY WOULD DEFINE THAT AS A DATA CENTER.
ALSO, IF THE FLOOR AREAS ABOVE 5,000 SQUARE FOOT, BUT IT IS NOT A, A FACTOR ALONGSIDE ONE ABOVE, THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT'S GONNA BE A DATA CENTER WITH THE 5,000 SQUARE FEET, BUT IT COULD BE, UH, PART OF THE DETERMINATION ON THAT ONE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS HERE, UH, A FACILITY IS CLASSIFIED BY ITS PHYSICAL AND OPERATION CHARACTERISTIC REGARDLESS OF HOW ITS OPERATOR CHARACTERIZE ITS BUSINESS, BASICALLY.
SO A COMPANY CAN'T RECLASSIFY ITSELF AS TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OR KLA IS SERVERS ARE MERELY INCIDENTAL OR SUBORDINATE TO DODGE THE DEFINITION.
SO WHAT HAPPENS HERE, YOU CAN HAVE A COMPUTING FACILITY BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE 5,000 KILOWATTS PLUS IS A DATA CENTER, EVEN IF IT CURRENTLY IS RUNNING BELOW THAT THRESHOLD.
SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS, YOU DO NOT WANT SOMEONE TO COME IN IF THE BUILDING IS DESIGNED FOR OVER 5,000 KILOWATTS AND THEY'RE NOT USING THAT, IT IS STILL CONSIDERED A DATA CENTER.
UH, SO WHAT ELSE WE HAVE WITH THAT, WE ALSO INCLUDED WHAT IS NOT A DATA CENTER.
SO BASICALLY IF WE THINK OF THE MCD, WE REALIZE ON THE ONE AREA OF THE MCD OF THE ZONING MAP FOR HOSPITAL IS HOSPITALS DO HAVE SERVERS.
THEY DO STORE DATA AND THEY DO HAVE A BACKUP GENERATORS.
BUT I THINK ALL OF US COULD CONCUR IN THIS ROOM.
THE HOSPITAL IS PRIMARY FOR HEALTHCARE AND IS NOT A DATA CENTER.
SO WE'RE NOT LOOPING THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS IN THE DEFINITION OF A DATA CENTER.
THEN YOU CAN ALSO HAVE SOME TYPE OF MANUFACTURING COMPANIES THAT DO HAVE SERVERS AND DATA CENTER, UH, PROCESSING OF ELEMENTS OF A DATA CENTER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE CLASSIFIED AS A DATA CENTER.
SO WE, IN THE DEFINITIONS WE TELL, UH, IS OUTLINED WHAT IS A DATA CENTER AND WHAT IS NOT A DATA CENTER.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND, UH, WITH THAT.
SO THAT'S THE, WE'RE TRYING TO TIGHTEN UP THE DEFINITION, CLOSE ALL THE LOOPHOLES THAT ARE POSSIBLE WITH THAT.
AND THE FINAL NET OF THE NEW DEFINITION, IT'S A BROAD CONCEPTIONAL DEFINITION.
IT HAS HARD NUMERIC THRESHOLDS BASICALLY FOR THE POWER AND THE COOLING IN THE AREA.
THE LANGUAGE IS COUNTERBALANCED BY NARROW FEE FOR SERVICE EXCLUSIONS FOR OFFICES, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, AND MANUFACTURERS.
SO IT PROTECTS THEM, BUT THEY'RE NOT LUMPED IN THE DATA CENTER DEFINITION.
SO BASICALLY HOW THAT WORKS IS MAYBE ON THE OLD SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK, QUACKS LIKE A DUCK, IT'S PROBABLY A DUCK.
EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN CHANGE, MAYBE THEY CAN SUBMIT UNDER DEFINITION AND UH, SAY THEY ARE SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT IF THEY HAVE ANY OF THOSE ELEMENTS OF A DATA CENTER PER THE DEFINITION, IT IS A DATA CENTER REGARDLESS WHAT THEY PUT ON THE APPLICATION FOR SOMETHING OR HOW THEY'RE OPERATING.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE DEFINITION WHY YOU'RE WONDERING WHY THE DEFINITION IS FOUR PAGES LONG.
THAT IS THE SUMMARY OF WHY THAT IS THE CASE.
SO WE HAVE SOME, SOME BUSINESSES IDENTIFY AS ONE THING WE KNOW THAT'S IN THE WORLD OR THINGS, BUT
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EVEN IF THEY DON'T IDENTIFY AS A DATA CENTER, BY THE DEFINITION, THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED A DATA CENTER THAT MET THOSE PARTS OF THE THRESHOLDS.UH, WE WORKED ON THIS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW, UH, AGAIN, TWO WORK SESSIONS ON THE DEFINITIONS THAT YOU WORKED AT, AT A GREAT LENGTH OF TIME.
AND AGAIN, THE DIRECTION WAS FROM TOWN COUNCIL TO DEFINE THE USE, WHICH WE KEPT IN THE PARAMETERS OF THE ZONING.
WHAT WE CAN WE DEFINE THE USE.
AND WE LISTED THREE DISTRICTS AND DEFINED IT AS AN INDUSTRIAL USE.
SO AS IT IS DEFINED AS INDUSTRIAL USE BY BASICALLY DEFINING AS INDUSTRIAL USE WOULD ONLY BE PERMITTED IN THOSE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
SO YOU'RE PROHIBITING THOSE IN THE I ONE, THE I TWO, AND THE MCD BY THE DEFINITION AND CHANGING THE TEXT AMENDMENT TO THOSE THREE DISTRICTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THE SUMMARY OF THE DEFINITIONS AND HOW THAT PERTAINS? OKAY, AGAIN, ADVISORY ROLE TOWN COUNCIL, AND YOU MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO, TO SPEAK, WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THE TOWN RESIDENT FIRST, FOLLOWED BY TOWN, FOLLOWED BY, UM, THE, FROM NONE OF THE ABOVE, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, SO I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING RIGHT NOW.
MS. POTTER, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND HEARING CALL NAMES FOUR OR FIVE IN ADVANCE, WHY DO, AND WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE TO THAT, I'LL READ THIS REAL QUICK.
WE'RE NOW AT THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION IN THE EVENING.
I'D LIKE TO GO OVER A FEW RULES TO THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE WE GO FORWARD.
WHEN YOU SET THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, I ASK YOU THAT YOU DIRECT ALL YOUR COMMENTS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
PLEASE DO NOT ADDRESS, UM, OTHER, OTHER FOLKS OR STAFF OR OTHER SPEAKERS.
FINALLY, KEEP YOUR COMMENTS, THREE MINUTES OR LAST AND RELEVANT TOPIC AT HAND, AND PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF BOTH THE, UM, NAME.
OKAY, WE HAVE KEVIN CUTBACK, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE PAUL DIARY.
I APOLOGIZE IF I DIDN'T GET THAT RIGHT.
MICHELLE BRANSON, LESLIE NICE.
HI, I'M KEVIN CUTBACK, UH, ONE 12 LURAY AVENUE.
UH, FRONT ROYAL, UH, THERE'S AN OLD SAYING THAT THE DIFFICULT IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE AN EFFECTIVE ARMY, THE DIFFICULT IS DONE AT ONCE AND THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A LITTLE LONGER.
I THINK THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS ASKED YOU TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, WHICH IS TO FULLY BAN A USE IN A VIRGINIA ZONE.
KEN CUCCINELLI, AS WHEN HE WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF VIRGINIA, HE HAD AN OPINION THAT YOU COULDN'T EVEN BAN FRACKING IN ALL INDUSTRIAL ZONES.
SO, UH, HIS RATIONALE WAS, UH, WE ARE A LIMITED GOVERNMENT.
WE, UM, RESPECT THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF PROPERTY OWNERS, AND IF YOU ALLOW OTHER INDUSTRIAL USES THAT CAN BE NOXIOUS AND HAZARDOUS AND, AND PUT OFF WASTES AND GASES, THEN YOU CAN'T BAN FRACKING IF YOU PERMIT THOSE OTHER INDUSTRIAL USES.
SO I, I HAPPEN TO FIND HIS LOGIC FAIRLY AIRTIGHT.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BAN DATA CENTERS UNDER VIRGINIA LAW, UH, JUST LIKE IT'S APPARENTLY IMPOSSIBLE TO BAN FRACKING.
UM, AND THAT YOU HAD DONE THE DIFFICULT DONE IT ONCE IN SEPTEMBER WHEN YOU WROTE, UH, A SPECIAL USE, UH, PERMIT PROCESS.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S TO YOUR CREDIT THAT YOU GOT THAT DONE.
AND I THINK IT'S TO YOUR CREDIT THAT YOU HAVE UNDERTAKEN THIS IN POSSIBLE TASK.
AND I, I ADMIRE, UH, THE ELEGANCE OF THE SOLUTION THAT YOU COME UP WITH.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF YOU NEED TO BE, UH, EMBARRASSED, UH, BY ADOPTING WHAT THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY'RE WAITING FOR AND WHO TO ACCEPT ANY ALTERNATIVES FOR.
IT DOES, UH, FALL FOR ME UNDER THE CA CATEGORY OF HARD ASS.
UH, AND THAT, UM, WHEN, WHEN ANY TOWN BODY ASKS TOO MUCH AND IMPOSES TOO HEAVY A RESTRICTION ON PROPERTY, IT'S LIKELY THAT THAT ENDS UP IN COURT.
AND JUST LIKE THEY SAY TO THE, UH, THE BAR, HOW REASONABLE IS IT FOR YOU TO MAKE ME TAKE OUT MY VINYL WINDOWS AND PUT IN HISTORICALLY APPROPRIATE WOODEN WINDOWS? UH, I PREDICT WE WILL HAVE A SIMILAR DIFFICULTY WITH WHAT YOU'RE
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WRITING HERE, BUT, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTS AND I DON'T ENVY YOU.BUT, UH, I ALSO, I KNOW THAT IF YOU'VE DONE DIFFICULT THINGS, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SUCCEED WITH THE IMPOSSIBLE AS WELL.
UH, MY NAME IS PAUL RE I, UH, LIVE 75 MARION LANE IN BENTONVILLE.
UM, I WANNA FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT I BELIEVE IS MISSING, UM, FROM THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT.
UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS GIVEN A VERY SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT BY THE, BY THE TOWN COUNCIL, DEVELOP A ZONING AMENDMENT THAT PROHIBITS DATA CENTERS AND FRONT ROYAL NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS WITH THAT DIRECTION IN MIND.
UM, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD INCLUDE LANGUAGE MAKING.
UH, IT CLEAR THAT PROHIBITION IS INTENDED TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE OF THE RESIDENTS OF FRONT ROYAL THAT EXPLAINS THE PURPOSE BEHIND THE TOWN'S DECISION.
RATHER THAN SIMPLY STATING THE OUTCOME, UH, THE MOTION SHOULD INCORPORATE THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS ALREADY IDENTIFIED BY THE VICE MAYOR, UM, WHEN SHE ADOPTED OR WHEN SHE MADE THE MOTION AND IT WAS ADOPTED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL.
THOSE CONCERNS WERE INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILITY IMPACTS, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, FISCAL IMPACTS, AND COMMUNITY IMPACTS.
THOSE ARE THE REASONS COUNCIL IDENTIFIED FOR PURSUING THIS PROHIBITION.
AND THEY SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION AND SUPPORTED SUPPORTING RECORD.
UM, THIRD, I BELIEVE THE AMENDMENT SHOULD MAKE THE TOWN'S INTENT UNMISTAKABLE.
IF THE INTENT IS TO PROHIBIT DATA CENTERS, THE LANGUAGE SHOULD CLEARLY ESTABLISH THAT THE PROHIBITION IS BEING ADOPTED BECAUSE OF THESE IDENTIFIED IMPACTS.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY, THOSE AREN'T MINOR ADDITIONS.
THEY EXPLAIN WHY FRONT ROYAL IS TAKING THIS ACTION AND THEY CREATE A CLEAR RECORD SHOWING THAT THIS PROHIBITION IS BASED UPON SPECIFIC CONCERNS IDENTIFIED BY THE, BY THE TOWN COUNCIL, NOT SIMPLY A PREFERENCE FOR ONE TYPE OF LAND USE OVER ANOTHER.
I'M ASKING THIS COMMISSION TO PROTECT OR TO STAND WITH THE PROTECTION OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL, FISCAL, AND COMMUNITY IMPACTS IDENTIFIED BY THE COUNCIL AND LANGUAGE MAKING CLEAR THAT THESE CONSIDERATIONS ARE THE BASIS FOR PROHIBITING DATA CENTERS IN FRONT ROYAL, THE PROHIBITION ITSELF IS THE DIRECTION YOU WERE GIVEN.
WHAT IS MISSING, UM, I BELIEVE IS THE, UH, THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND THE SPECIFIC REASONS SUPPORTING IT.
UH, MY NAME IS MICHELLE FRANSON.
I LIVE AT 86 MID SQUARE FOR ALL.
UM, AND, UH, I'M NOT GONNA, I UNDERSTOOD, I I I TRIED TO READ THIS BEST I CAN.
SO IF ANYTHING I'M SAYING IT'S AWKWARD, I APOLOGIZE.
BUT MY, YOU, MY INTENT IS, IS, IS HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE CLEAR.
UM, SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS SPENT MORE THAN A YEAR RESEARCHING DATA CENTERS LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE EXPERIENCING CONSIDERING THEIR IMPACTS AND DEVELOPING POSSIBLE REGULATIONS.
UH, THIS, THE COMMUNITY ALSO, OUR COMMUNITY HAS ALSO SPOKEN AGAIN AND AGAIN, RESIDENTS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE DO NOT WANT BE THE CENTERS AND FOOT OIL.
UM, AND THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL DETERMINED THAT REGULATION WAS NOT ENOUGH.
UM, SO I I'M WHAT I READ AND, AND MY QUESTION IS, IS LIKE WHY ARE WE STILL LOOKING AT WHETHER THESE FACILITIES CAN BE REGULATED WHEN THE TOWN COUNCILS ARE DETERMINED THAT REGULATION IS
DEVELOPERS AND FINANCIAL, THE DEVELOPERS HAVE FINANCIAL INTEREST IN FINDING WAYS TO MAKE THEIR PROJECTS POSSIBLE.
THAT IS THE REALITY OF DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR BUSINESS.
THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THEIR PROJECTS AND THEIR INVESTMENT, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE LONG TERM INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
SO I AM ASKING YOU TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO BACK DOOR, NO ALTERNATE, ALTERNATE CLASSIFICATION, NO CHANGE IN TERMINOLOGY, NO DIFFERENT OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE.
NO WAY TO DESCRIBE OR STRUCTURE A FACILITY THAT ALLOWS DATA CENTER TO COME IN OUR COMMUNITY AFTER WE HAVE DECIDED TO PROHIBIT THEM.
AND WHEN I READ LIKE IT FEELS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A LOT OF THAT.
UM, UH, BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO SAY NO, THEN NO NEEDS TO BE NO.
UH, WE ARE IN A FORTUNATE POSITION TO SEE THE IMPACTED DATA CENTERS, UH, COMMUNITIES ACROSS VIRGINIA AND THE COUNTY ARE NOW PUTTING THEIR BREAK ON DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE MULTIPLE FACILITIES.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN FROM WHAT THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE EXPERIENCING INSTEAD OF REPEATING
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THE SAME MISTAKES.AND IT WOULD BE HUBRIS FOR ANYBODY TO THINK THEY COULD DO IT DIFFERENT.
WE KNOW THESE FACILITIES PLACE ENORMOUS DEMANDS ON NOT JUST IN WATER.
WE KNOW THEY BRING INDUSTRIAL SCALE NOISE, INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
WE KNOW THEY PUT STRAIN ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILITIES AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMUNITIES DEPEND ON, AND WE KNOW THEY PERMANENTLY CHANGE THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'RE BUILT, CHANGING LANDSCAPE AND HOW LAND IS USED ONCE THEY'RE BUILT.
IT IS DIFFICULT
PREVENTION IS SO MUCH EASIER THAN TRYING TO UNDO DAMAGE THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW CAN BE UNDO.
AND IT'S NOT JUST OUR TOWN OF COUNTY.
WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE SHENANGO.
RI RIVER DOES NOT STOP AT THE BOUNDARY OF OUR ROYAL WARREN COUNTY.
IT RUNS THROUGH MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES AND CONNECTS
IS THAT MY THREE MINUTES? IT'S OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR PRONOUNCING THAT CORRECTLY.
UM, I LIVE AT 2 6 4 3
AND UH, AFTER WE ALSO EMPLOYED 5,000 PEOPLE ON THAT CAMPUS.
AN INCREDIBLE CAMPUS THAT HAS SINCE BEEN TORN DOWN AND IS A DATA CENTER THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, ALL KINDS OF BUSINESSES.
UM, WHEN WE LEFT THE CAMPUS, THERE WERE, UM, THERE WERE CONTRACTORS WHO CAME RIGHT IN BECAUSE WE HAD EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING.
SO IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR IT TO BE TORN DOWN THE, BUT IT IS.
BUT IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING THROUGH ASHBURN LATELY AND CHANTILLY, UM, I HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN TO PRINCE WILLIAM, BUT I HEAR THAT'S ANOTHER CATASTROPHE.
UM, YOU WILL SEE WHY PEOPLE DON'T WANT ONE HERE.
YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A THING IN PLACE THAT COULD SAY YES, WE, WE WILL CONSIDER IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
JUST NO, NO DATA CENTERS HANDS DOWN BECAUSE YOU LET ONE IN.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENED IN LOUDOUN, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN UM, PRINCE WILLIAM IS THEY WERE LIED TO AND CONTINUALLY, UM, AND, UH, THEY WERE PROMISED ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAVEN'T COME TRUE.
AND THERE WAS NO WAY FOR THEM TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT THEY PROMISED.
AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT WE JUST NEED TO ABSOLUTELY PUT A BAN ON IT.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, TAKE A BUS TRIP OUT THERE, DO A, DO A FIELD TRIP AND SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, HOW MUCH IT IMPACTS THE HOMEOWNERS AND THEIR PRICING ON THEIR HOUSES.
AND PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO SELL.
PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET WATER.
THE, UM, WE ON THE MOUNTAIN ARE HAVING PROBLEMS ALREADY AND VIRGINIA HAS A DROUGHT AND THEY, THESE THINGS ARE COMING TO RURAL AREAS BECAUSE THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA REALIZED HE WAS BIG PROPONENT OF, UH, DATA CENTERS, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE SO MANY IN VIRGINIA.
AND THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT FACT AND THEY SHOULD ACTUALLY BE EMBARRASSED.
UM, BUT THE UM, THE WHOLE IDEA OF HAVING THE BIGGEST AND GREATEST HERE IN VIRGINIA JUST SHOWS HOW IGNORANT THEY WERE WHEN THEY MADE THE DECISIONS TO DO SO.
UM, I'VE BEEN AT ALL THESE MEETINGS IN THE GOVERNMENT CENTER HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU'VE BEEN THERE, YOU'VE SEEN, THERE'S THREE, 400 PEOPLE EVERY TIME.
IF YOU LOOK AROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY, WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW A FEW YEARS AGO, IT'S STARTING TO COME TO LIGHT.
I BELIEVE IT WAS WRITTEN BY YOU, WAS JUST YOUR NAME.
UM, WHERE IT SEEMED LIKE THE BIGGEST ARGUMENT WAS IT DOESN'T COALESCE WITH THE LONG-TERM PLAN OF, OF THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHEN THAT PLAN WAS WRITTEN, PROBABLY A FEW YEARS BACK, PROBABLY WHEN DATA CENTERS WEREN'T, WERE KIND OF THOUGHT TO BE A GOOD THING.
AND NOW WHEN WE SEE THE BACKLASH AND WE SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN COMMUNITIES, WE SEE THEY MIGHT NOT BE SO GOOD.
UM, ALL THE REGULAR ARGUMENTS THEY USE UP ELECTRICITY, THESE WATER, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE JOBS
[00:30:01]
GIVING BIG TAX BREAKS.UM, AND WE SHOULD JUST LOOK AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THIS STATE AS WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
WE'VE SEEN ON CHANNEL SEVEN FOR WEEKS ABOUT THE BIG ONE OUT IN STERLING.
THEY TOLD 'EM IT WOULD BE BELOW THE NOISE LEVELS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
NOW THAT DIESEL GENERATORS ARE RUNNING 24 7, UM, WE LOOK AT RIGO COUNTY, THEY OPENED THE DOOR AND LET 'EM IN.
NOW THEY HAVE 37 DATA CENTERS.
THEY JUST TOLD THE RESIDENTS SAY THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A 20% INCREASE IN THEIR ELECTRIC BILLS.
THEY'VE ASKED THE SCHOOLS TO CUT BACK ON THEIR USAGE, MAYBE DIDN'T LIGHTS EVEN UP LIGHTS FOR OUR KIDS TO HAVE MORE DATA CENTERS.
WE SHOULD JUST LOOK AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SEE WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AND WHY THERE'S THIS BIG BACKLASH.
NOW, TEXAS TOO, I DON'T KNOW WHY VIRGINIA SHOULD TAKE THE BRUNT OF ALL THE DATA CENTERS FOR THE COUNTRY.
WE RANK 37 IN THE SIZE OF OUR STATE AND YET WE HAVE 650 SOME DATA CENTERS, MORE THAN ANYONE IN THE COUNTRY.
TEXAS, SIX TIMES BIGGER THAN US ONLY HAS 420 OR SO.
AND THEY'RE HAVING A HUGE BACKLASH.
THEY'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT SELL THE RANCHES AND NOW CAN SELL THEIR HOUSES.
YOU SHOULD JUST REALLY LOOK IN THE LONG TERM AND SEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN DOWN THE ROAD ONCE WE OPEN THE DOOR AND LET THEM IN.
'CAUSE ONCE WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER COUNTIES, ONCE YOU LET 'EM IN, YOU GIVE 'EM THAT FOOTHOLD AND THEN THEY JUST START COMING BACK AT YOU.
LAWSUITS, START USING UP ALL THE MONEY AND LOOK AT THE LONG RUN AND SAY, WE DON'T WANT THIS.
THIS IS, UM, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND WE SHOULDN'T PUT A BUNCH OF BIG UGLY BUILDINGS, MAKE NOISE, SUCK UP OUR RESOURCES, AND DOWN THE ROAD MIGHT BE EMPTY BECAUSE THEY'LL BE OUTDATED IN A FEW YEARS.
WE HAVE, UH, BETH TEAL, VINCENT VEKA AND UM, VEKA.
AND MELANIES, SORRY IF I BUTCHER YOUR NAME.
FIELD, UH, MY NAME'S BETH FIELD AND I LIVE ON RIVER MON ACRES ROAD.
I HADN'T PLANNED ON SPEAKING TONIGHT, BUT UM, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE THE CROWD THAT WE HAVE AT THE LAST SEVERAL MEETINGS.
BUT, UM, I TWO A TRANSPLANT FROM PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY WHERE IT IS DISGUSTING THAT IF ANY OF YOU HAVE DRIVEN DOWN THAT WAY, TO EVEN THINK THAT THEY'RE BEING CONSIDERED HERE AND THE LIES THEY TELL.
UM, I LIVED IN A CONDO ON CENTER STREET.
IF THE REVENUE FROM THOSE THINGS IS SO GREAT, WHY ARE OUR TAXES SO HIGH? I MOVED OUT HERE.
I HAVE THREE AND A HALF ACRES RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE AVTEC SITE, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE BECAUSE I'VE LEFT THAT HELL HOLE.
NOT TO COME OUT HERE TO MY RETIREMENT HOME AND HAVE A DATA CENTER RIGHT ON THE SHENANDOAH RIVER WHERE THE CANOES, THE TUBES FLOW BY.
THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR INDUSTRY HERE IS THE CANOE INDUSTRY.
AND WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS, UM, WHY THE FIGHT ISN'T SO BIG TO BRING THAT KIND OF INDUSTRY IN.
THEY, THESE DEVELOPERS PICK SMALL TOWNS.
YOU GUYS ARE PRIME PICKENS FOR THESE PEOPLE.
PRIME PICKENS, THEY COME OUT HERE AND THEY SMOOTH TALK YOU.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY OFFER YOU, IF ANYTHING.
THEY SWEET TALKIE WITH THEIR LIES.
UM, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY IS PROOF THEY'RE IN A LAWSUIT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE ONE OF THE TRICKS THE DATA CENTERS PULLED, I DID IT FOR AIR TRAFFIC FOR 33 YEARS.
WE BACKED UP CRAP ALL DAY LONG.
EVERY WORD OUT OF EVERYBODY'S MOUTH KEPT IT FOR YEARS.
WE NEVER NEEDED A DATA CENTER.
THESE THINGS AREN'T FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF.
NOT FOR YOUR PICTURES, YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS.
THEY'RE FOR ROBOTICS TO TAKE AWAY HUMAN JOBS.
THEY'RE FOR SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT.
THEY'RE NOT TO BRING IN REVENUE FOR YOU GUYS OR FOR OUR TOWN.
THEY'RE NOT HERE TO HELP US OUT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
AND I HAPPEN TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THIS IN MIDDLETOWN.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I'M OUT HERE.
'CAUSE THERE WAS A THREAT OF A TRUCK STOP BEING PUT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE THERE.
BUT, UM, IF I WERE IN YOUR POSITION, THE ONE OF YOUR MAIN ROLES IS THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE.
ASK YOURSELF, BECAUSE THAT STUFF WAS GREAT.
THAT WAS PHENOMENAL, YOUR STUFF.
[00:35:01]
LIKE I SAID, I WORKED IN THE GOVERNMENT AND IT'S OVERWHELMING FOR THESE PEOPLE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT 500 MEGAWATTS AND ALL THAT.LIKE, IT WAS OVERWHELMING FOR ME.
SO LIKE WHAT I WOULD DO, 'CAUSE I TOOK CARE OF ALL THE TOWERS UP IN THIS, ALL THE, IN THIS ENTIRE AREA AND THE CONTROL CENTER IN LEEBURG.
SO FOR ME, I BROKE IT DOWN TO, UM, WHAT SIZE ROUTER WERE THEY ASKING FOR? THAT DOESN'T MEAN A DAMN THING TO Y'ALL BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A ROUTER IS USED FOR.
IF THEY ASKED FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS ROUTER, I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A SMALL, PROBABLY 15 PEOPLE OR LESS FACILITY.
THEY ASKED FOR A $50,000 ROUTER.
I KNEW THERE WAS GONNA BE ABOUT 1500 PEOPLE IN THAT BUILDING PROBABLY.
AND SO IT'S OVERWHELMING FOR Y'ALL TO TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT JUST THOSE THREE QUESTIONS, HOW DOES THE DATA CENTER FIT INTO THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MY NAME IS VINCENT MARCA, ONE 40 FONTANA ROAD, AND I LIVE OUTSIDE THE FORK DISTRICT.
SO I JUST WANNA START OFF IN SAYING THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE HARD WORK AS SO FAR IN, UH, DRAFTING UP AN AMENDMENT AND RESPONDING TO WHAT THE TOWN COUNCIL SUGGESTED YOU TO DO.
I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO WHAT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE SAID AND, UM, SAY THAT THE DRAFT AMENDMENT SHOULD INCLUDE, UH, HEALTH AND THE SAFETY CONCERNS THAT THE HOME COUNCIL PUT FORWARD ON A, AT THE BEHEST OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPOKEN AT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL.
AND, UH, AND, AND IT IS ALSO NECESSARY, I THINK TO CLOSE ANY LOOPHOLES FOR, FOR THE DATA CENTERS TO BE, TO COME INTO
SO CLOSING ANY THE LOOPHOLES AND ALLOWING, MAKING IT UNTHINKABLE THAT THAT CENTERS SHOULD BE COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND FOR, FOR THE REASONS THAT I'VE JUST MENTIONED.
HEALTH, HEALTH AND WAS
AND, UM, I'VE ALSO SPOKEN AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND, UH, EXPLAINING WHY DATA CENTERS USE UP A LOT OF POWER.
THE THE WATER RESOURCES AND OF COURSE THE, UH, THE JOB, THE JOB SITUATION AND, AND OUTLINED, YOU KNOW, THOSE EXAMPLES OF OF PREVIOUS MUNICIPALITIES THAT THEY HAD THE DATA CENTERS COMING IN AND IT DID NOT BENEFIT THEM AT ALL.
SO I HOPE YOU COULD, UH, LISTEN IN TO WHAT, UH, THE PEOPLE HAVE SAID AND CONSIDER THEIR, UM, CONCERNS INTO ACCOUNT AS YOU DRIVE THE FINAL AMENDMENT.
I LIVE IN ONE 40 FONT OUT FOR DISTRICT OUTSIDE THE TOWN, BUT I AM REALLY INVOLVED WITH ROYAL, THE CHARM OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TOWN.
AND THE PEOPLE SPOKE VERY CLEARLY.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE, SO I REALLY RECOMMEND THAT YOUR LANGUAGE IS VERY CLEAR, STRONG, NOT THROW THE DATA CENTER OUT OF THE DOOR.
AND THEY HAVE A WAY TO COME BACK THROUGH THE WINDOW.
SO PLEASE,
I'M AN EDUCATOR, LITTLE KIDS, SO MY CONCERN AND TO GIVE THEM TOWN OF
AND I REITERATED THE RICHNESS OF THIS AREA IS OF THE PEOPLE.
AND THE PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER AND PEOPLE LIVING HERE SINCE A LONG TIME SAY IT'S A KIND OF EXTRAORDINARY PARTICIPATION OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS PROCESS OF DECIDING WHAT IS GOOD FOR US.
WHY VIRGINIA, WHY FROM ROYAL HAS TO SERVE THE OLD WORLD.
AND WE HAVE SO MANY DATA CENTER MAYBE IN 10 YEARS THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE USEFUL ANYMORE.
AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE THIS MONSTROSITY IN OUR HAND, IN THE OUR CHILDREN'S HAND.
OUR HEALTH IS GONNA BE RUINED AND NO JOBS.
THE INDUSTRY OF TOURISTS GONE BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA LOOK FOR OTHER PLACES AND THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT WE LOVE, NOT ANYMORE
[00:40:01]
THE WAY IT IS TODAY.SO PLEASE, I REALLY RECOMMEND STRONG LANGUAGE.
DON'T LET ANYONE COME AGAIN AND HAVE THE IDEA TO HAVE AN INDUSTRIAL AREA TRANSFORM IN THIS MONSTROSITY.
AND THAT IS GONNA KEEP YOU, YOU KNOW, ALERT THAT WE WANNA DEVELOPMENT, BUT SHOULD BE SUSTAINABLE AND SHOULD BE WITH THE AGREEMENT WITH THE PEOPLE.
WITH THE PEOPLE THEY ARE LIVING HERE AND THEY CARRY THE BURDEN.
THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE TO, UH, TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS, THE DECISION.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING THE PEOPLE TO SPEAK AND TO WORK HARD WITH THIS IDEA TO BAN DATA CENTER FOR US.
WE DON'T WANT FRONT LAWYER AND THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THIS.
AYE MELANIE LAN, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST PEOPLE THAT SPOKE HERE TONIGHT DO NOT WANT DATA CENTERS.
AND I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE COMMENTS MADE BY THE ONE PERSON WHO HAS CONSISTENTLY SAID HOW MUCH HE DOES WANT DATA CENTERS.
KEN KELLI WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL FROM 2010 TO 2014.
BACK THEN, THERE WERE NO HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS.
THERE WAS NO STATE OF EMERGENCY DROUGHT.
THERE WAS NO STATE OF EMERGENCY POWER SHORTAGE.
WE CAN'T HYPOTHESIZE WHAT HE WOULD'VE RULED OVER A DECADE LATER IN CIRCUMSTANCES HE COULDN'T HAVE EVER EVEN IMAGINED.
WOULD CUCCINELLI HAVE REQUIRED THE STATE TO CONTINUE TO SELF-DESTRUCT AND COMMIT SUICIDE? WHO KNOWS? UM, I'D RATHER TALK ABOUT WHAT MUCH MORE RECENTLY FORMER GOVERNOR GLENN YAKIN SAID, HE SAID THAT LOCALITIES SHOULD DECIDE WHETHER TO HOST DATA CENTERS AT ALL.
EMPHASIZING THAT LAND USE RIGHTS REGARDING THESE FACILITIES SHOULD REMAIN WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS RATHER THAN THE STATE.
HIS AIM WAS TO EMPOWER COMMUNITIES TO DETERMINE IF THEY WANT DATA CENTERS.
WE HAVE A RIGHT TO OUR CHARACTER IN CHARM.
WE HAVE A RIGHT TO TO PROTECT OURSELVES WHEN WE SEE THAT, THAT WE'RE BEING OUR, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES ARE BEING OVERDRAWN FROM, UM, THE MENTION OF LAWSUITS.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO FEAR LAWSUIT FOR SOME REASON WHEN IT COMES TO PROHIBITING DATA CENTERS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY LAWSUITS THERE HAVE BEEN IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA WHEN DATA CENTERS HAVE BEEN PROHIBITED? THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE ONE.
NOT SAYING THERE COULDN'T BE, MAYBE THERE WOULD BE, WHO KNOWS? BUT THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS CONSTANT CONTINUOUS LAWSUITS IN LOCALITIES THAT ALLOW DATA CENTERS BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
YOU'LL GET SUED BY THE DATA CENTERS WHO TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE TOO RESTRICTIVE.
YOU'LL BE SUED BY THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE HERE WHO DO NOT WANT THEM IN THEIR BACKYARD.
THE LAWSUITS WILL BE CONSISTENT.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE LEGAL INSURANCE WHEN THE TOWN, IF THE TOWN IS SUED FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT'S WHEN THEIR LEGAL INSURANCE KICKS IN.
I KNOW, UM, THREATS LIKE THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BEFORE.
I, I'VE BEEN AT THESE MEETINGS WHERE, WHERE COMP PLANS BEEN, BEEN MENTIONED AND UM, UH, MR. LUELLEN SUED US AND WE WON.
SO THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD JUST BOW DOWN AND FEAR THESE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HYPOTHETICALLY SUE US IS RIDICULOUS.
THIS COMMUNITY IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR AND WORTH PROHIBITING THEM.
UM, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE THE DETAILS THAT YOU WROTE BECAUSE I THINK THAT IN AND OF ITSELF SHOULD BE PROOF ALL THE PROOF YOU NEED, HOW SNEAKY THESE DATA CENTERS ARE.
THESE ARE NOT THE TYPE OF PEOPLE YOU WANT TO INVITE INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND DO BUSINESS WITH.
UM, IN CLOSING, I'LL JUST KIND OF REITERATE THAT THE, THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WAS MADE BY VICE MAYOR BY ANDAL, IT WAS BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN BECAUSE IT DID CITE STATE CODE 15.2 DASH 28 80, WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES YOU ARE ALLOWED TO PROHIBIT BASED OFF OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL GEN, GENERAL WELFARE.
AND THEN ALSO PLEASE RE-LIST IN THE MOTION THE REASONS BEHIND WHICH, SO THAT WE HAVE A STRONG LEGAL AID TO STAND ON IF WE DO GET SUED.
BE SAME ONE THAT, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR SPEAKER.
THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR SPEAKER SIGNED UP.
IS ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO TALK? I'M NOW CLOSING THE HEARING.
IF YOU'LL JUST SIGN IN THE PAPER HE HAS WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS THAT I GIVE THAT TO YOU MR. NEIL.
SIGN HERE WHEN YOU'RE DONE TALKING.
DO I HAVE MY NAME AND ADDRESS? YES PLEASE.
UM, MY NAME IS RACHEL HERBERT
[00:45:01]
ROAD IN MIDDLETOWN.I'M NOT A FRONT RURAL RESIDENT, BUT I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING, UM, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE WEEKS.
UM, AND I THINK TOO MANY OF THE GOOD POINTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE MADE TONIGHT.
UM, YOU GUYS TOOK A LOT OF TIME AND CONSIDERATION TO WRITE LANGUAGE WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO DEFINE WHAT A DATA CENTER IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T, AND GIVEN THE OUT SHOWING OF SUPPORT BY PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, PROBABLY RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, AS WELL AS POLITICAL BACKGROUNDS TO STATE THAT THEY'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS HE LADY WHOSE NAME I COULD NOT POSSIBLY PRONOUNCE,
THE STATE SHOULD NOT HAVE DATA CENTERS.
UM, I GREW UP IN INDIANA AND I DID NOT PREPARE MY REMARKS, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NERVOUS.
UM, BUT I LIKE HISTORY AND WHERE I GREW UP IN INDIANA, THERE WAS, UM, A CONSIDERED ONE OF THE LARGEST ECOLOGICAL DISASTERS IN INDIANA STATE HISTORY CALLED THE KAKE, UH, UH, GRAND KAKE MARSH, ALMOST AS LARGE AS THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES.
IT WAS THE CROWN JEWEL OF THAT AREA FOR HUNTING AND FISHING.
AND NOW THIS HAPPENED MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO, BUT EVEN TO THIS DAY YOU CAN SEE THE SCARS IN THE ST.
JOSEPH RIVER WHERE THE FARMERS STILL FIGHT THE RIVER WANTS TO RETURN, WHERE IT WAS, WHERE THEY DREDGED THE MARSH FROM NORTHERN INDIANA.
WE COULD LOOK TO THETO ROOSEVELT ISLAND, WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE ECOLOGICAL DISASTER MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, BUT THEY BUILT AN ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE TO, NOW THIS IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT THAN A DATA CENTER, BUT IT SPEAKS TO THE HISTORY OF LEARNING HOW THE ACTIONS WE TAKE TODAY HAVE AN IMPACT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
WHAT KINDS OF THINGS IS THAT GOING TO DO IN TERMS OF THE GROUNDWATER TO ECOSYSTEMS IN THIS COUNTY THAT SUPPORTS THE FARMS? I DON'T KNOW HOW MEDICAL PERCENTAGE OF FARMS IS IN WARREN COUNTY, BUT CERTAINLY THERE ARE PROBABLY MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE FARMS AND LIVELIHOODS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE AGRICULTURE OF FRONT OIL.
SO I'D ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER AND ASSUME YOU HAVE CONSIDERED VERY WISELY OR AT LEAST TRY TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY TO LIMIT AND PROHIBIT DATA CENTERS AND THE IMPACTS THAT IT MIGHT HAVE ON YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SHOWN UP OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS FOR COUNTING AND CITY MEETINGS, ASKING TO PLEASE CONSIDER THE RESTRICTION OF VERY UNKNOWN TECHNOLOGY.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? AM I ALLOWED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE? UH, YOU ALREADY HAD A SHORT EDGE OF TIME AT PODIUM.
CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO NOTE.
ALRIGHT, I'LL JUST, I'M SORRY.
AMBER MARTIN? UH, I'M IN THE FOURTH DISTRICT.
I DID NOT PLAN A SINGLE THING TO SAY TONIGHT, BUT, UM, I HAVE READ THROUGH IT.
I READ THROUGH IT, UH, RECENTLY AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.
EVERY, THE DEFINITIONS SEEMED REALLY SPOT ON.
UM, MY ONLY CONCERN WAS, UH, THAT SINCE EVERYBODY'S VERY WORRIED ABOUT LEGISLATION, OR NOT LEGISLATION, SORRY, UM, LAWSUITS COMING, UH, THAT THERE IS NOWHERE THAT GIVES THE GROUNDS FOR WHY IT'S PROHIBITED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE SHOULD BE ADDED OR COULD BE ADDED, BUT JUST HAVING, UH, GROUNDS THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE MOTION OF WHY THAT WAS THE CHOICE THE TOWN MADE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO I HAVE NOT PRESENTED TO YOU ALL LIKE I'VE DONE EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT THERE IS A PETITION THAT I HAVE GOING THAT HAS OVER 2000 SIGNATURES, UM, FROM CITIZENS IN THE TOWN AND COUNTY THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THEM HERE AND THEY WERE PROHIBITED.
UM, AND I REALLY THINK THAT'S IT.
IF YOU'LL SIGN IN, PLEASE SIGN THIS.
ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? WHAT DO YOU THINK? ALRIGHT, UM, UM, OH BOY, I'VE GOT A CON MY HOUSE.
I, AND UM, I'M FROM FRONT ROYAL VIRGINIA ON WARREN COUNTY AND UM, THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID ABOUT DATA CENTERS AND WHY WE DON'T WANT THEM.
WELL YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST CELEBRATED, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, INDEPENDENCE DAY, RIGHT? 4TH OF JULY.
WELL, THIS INDEPENDENCE DAY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHAT A THOMAS JEFFERSON, RIGHT? THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE COVER LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE
[00:50:01]
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.WELL, THE GENERAL WELFARE THAT SAYS IT ALL, OKAY? OUR CONSTITUTION OF FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE.
OKAY, SO Y'ALL REPRESENT US, RIGHT? AND ALREADY THE TOWN HAS SAID NO TO DATA CENTERS.
THE COUNTY HAS SAID NO TO DATA CENTERS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT YOU ALL WOULD RESPECT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 160 PEOPLE, REPRESENTATIVE AT THE VERY FIRST MEETING, YOU KNOW, THE, OF THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN, PROBABLY EVEN MORE.
99 PEOPLE OR A HUNDRED PEOPLE SPOKE AND 99 PEOPLE SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE DATA CENTER.
THAT'S WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
AND UH, SO THAT'S THE GENERAL WELFARE AND THEN THEY THREATEN TO HELP, YOU KNOW, THEY KILL THE DAYS.
OKAY, WELL SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THESE.
THEY SING YOU RIGHT? BUT THEY ALSO POLLINATE YOUR CROPS AS YOUR BUTTERFLIES AND, AND ALL THESE OTHER INSECTS.
AND WHAT ARE WE DOING? A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USING, YOU KNOW, PESTICIDES AS THIS IS BAD ENOUGH.
BUT THEN WHEN YOU KILL THE POLLINATORS, NO POLLINATORS, THEY EQUAL NO CROPS.
OKAY? YOU GOTTA COUNT THE COSTS WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT SOMETHING, YOU HAVE GOT TO COUNT THE COSTS.
THERE'S GONNA BE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS IF YOU DECIDE TO, WELL THE TODAY'S OKAY, LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS.
ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE DATA CENTERS IN AND THEN THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES IF THESE PEOPLE LIE TO YOU, DO YOU REALLY WANT A DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO LIE TO YOU WHO ARE DISHONEST? I WOULD HOPE YOU ALL WOULD BE HONEST.
SO WHY DO YOU WANNA GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE DISHONEST AND LIED TO YOU AND SAY, YOU KNOW, DON'T WORRY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THIS.
WE'RE GONNA, WE PROMISE THIS, WE PROMISE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE LAWYERS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO DROP CONTRACTS IF YOU WANT THESE DATA CENTERS, WHICH I THINK IS A BAD IDEA BECAUSE, AND THEN WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF THEY VIOLATE THE CONTRACTS? DO YOU WANNA PAY FOR LAWYERS AND PAY FOR THE CONTRACTS TO BE WRITTEN UP AND THEN HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU COVER EVERY SINGLE DETAIL INVOLVED? SO THOSE CONTRACTS, HOW MUCH IS THAT GONNA COST YOU? HOW MUCH IS IT GONNA COST YOU WHEN THE TABLE OF FRONT ROYAL DECIDE TO MOVE OUT BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT ONE DATE AFTER ANOTHER, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM IN FRONT.
ROYAL WHATCHA ARE GONNA DO ABOUT THAT? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? THANK YOU.
CAN YOU SIGN IN PLEASE? THE PAPERS AT THE TABLE HERE, MA'AM.
OH, DID I NEED TO
ALRIGHT, WHICH ONE? UM, ONE MORE GO.
UM, IS THERE, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO? I'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AGAINST THE DATA CENTER.
THIS IS JUST THE RECORD OF YOU BEING HERE, SO YOU JUST, JUST GIVE IT A MOMENT.
AT THIS POINT I ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
DID YOU CLOSE THE PUBLIC? YES, I CLOSED IT.
IN FURTHERANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE AND GOOD ZONING PRACTICE AND THE PROTECTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES, AND THE CHARACTER OF THE TOWN, I MOVE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVED THE PROPOSED TAX AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 75, DEFINING AND PROHIBITING DATA CENTERS AS DIRECTED BY TOWN COUNCIL AND AS PRESENTED TO BE FORWARDED TO TOWN COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND, SECOND DISCUSSION? START START WITH THE MOTION.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, AS WE'VE SEEN HERE AND UH, PREVIOUSLY THE VERY CLEAR SET DESIRES OF THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THESE HERE PRESENT, UH, IN PERPETUITY AS IT WERE.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE LAND USE SIDE.
[00:55:01]
AT WHAT IS THE BEST USE OF THE LAND THAT IS HERE IN OUR TOWN.UH, AND WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MORE OF IT.
IT IS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF SPACE.
AND WHAT WE CAN SEE ACROSS THE BOARD AND ACROSS THE STATES AND EVEN OTHER STATES, THAT THERE IS REALLY NO SUCH THING AS JUST ONE OR TWO.
THEY COMPREHENSIVELY CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF A TOWN, OF ANY AREA THAT THEY COME INTO.
AND IF WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING FORWARD TOWARDS THE PROTECTION OF THIS AREA, THEN PROHIBITING THEM IS REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
THERE IS A COMPARISON THAT PEOPLE HAVE MADE AT TIMES OF, WELL, WE ALLOW OTHER INDUSTRIAL USES.
THERE ARE NO OTHER INDUSTRIAL USES THAT ARE INFECTIONS IN A WAY WHERE WHEN ONE SHOWS UP MORE AND MORE AND MORE FOLLOW, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH YOUR LUMBER YARDS OR WITH MANUFACTURING, ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
WHAT WE SEE INSTEAD ARE THESE BUSINESSES, THESE DATA CENTERS COMING IN AND PURCHASING LAND FROM OTHER GROUPS THAT DO PROVIDE JOBS AND THEN PLACING A DATA CENTER ON IT AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.
I DON'T SEE THERE BEING ANY SPOT WITHIN THE TOWN WHERE YOU COULD RIGHTFULLY PUT A DATA CENTER THAT COULD NOT EITHER HAVE A BETTER USE IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT OR ANY USE BESIDES THAT THAT WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL TO THE TOWN.
UH, I I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING EXCEPT, YOU KNOW, RECOMMEND THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS, INCLUDING THAT PROHIBITION IS, IS APPROVED.
UM, I FELT LIKE, UH, THIS IS A REALLY HARD ONE FOR ME, UM, BECAUSE I FELT ANY PATH WAS SPOT WITH SIGNIFICANT RISK.
UM, AND UM, JUST ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, MY IDEAL SCENARIO IS NO DATA CENTERS, BUT IS THAT THE BEST FOR THE TOWN? AND THE TIME THAT WE SPENT BUILDING THE REGULATIONS, WHICH AT THAT TIME I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE PROHIBITING WAS AN OPTION.
I I WAS REALLY, I WAS SO IMPRESSED AT THE CARE THIS COMMISSION TOOK AND REALLY, REALLY TRYING TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE OF HOME OIL.
I I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THAT.
AND TO ME, I, IT SHOWED A CLEAR MOTIVATION THAT THERE WAS TREMENDOUS CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY EXCELLENT, IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE DATA CENTERS.
UM, I, ON ON ANOTHER PERSONAL LEVEL, PART OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT GOING THROUGH DATA CENTERS AS I FEEL LIKE YES, THE PRINCE WILLIAM, THE LA THE OTHER NORTHERN NORTHERN VIRGINIA STORIES THAT WE HEAR ARE HORRIFIC, BUT THERE WERE NO REGULATIONS IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE FOR THAT.
YOU STILL ARE, RIGHT? I'M SORRY.
AND, AND THERE WERE, SO THERE WERE NO REGULATIONS TO PROTECT THE, UH, NOW I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT WHERE WE HAD, WELL NO, IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT I STILL THINK THAT THERE'S SO MANY UNKNOWN FACTORS WITH DATA CENTERS AND THE ONE THING THAT KEPT COMING TO MY MIND WAS, WELL AFTS WHEN THAT CAME, EVERYBODY THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A SAVIOR.
AND SEE HOW THAT ENDED UP FOR THE TOWN LIKE THAT KEPT ON GOING THROUGH AND THINKING ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL RISK OF EXPOSURE FOR THIS UNBELIEVABLE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY THIS, IT SOUNDS CORNY, BUT I HAVE LIVED OVER ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
UM, MOSTLY IN, IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE.
I HAVE SEEN SOME BEAUTIFUL PLACES.
WHEN I WAS MAKING A DECISION OF WHERE I WAS GOING TO END UP, I SAID, WHERE IS THE ONE PLACE THAT, THAT I WOULD WANT TO LIKE THAT I DON'T MIND BEING LEFT ALONE OF ALL MY FAMILY, LEFT OF EVERYTHING.
AND IT WAS FRONT ROYAL, YOU KNOW, I HAD THE SWISS ALPS, I HAD ROME, I LOVED ROME, BUT IT WAS FRONT ROYAL THAT I CHOSE BECAUSE OF ITS BEAUTY.
AND NO MATTER WHAT, EVEN EVEN WITH THE, WITH THE INCREDIBLE CARE, WHICH THE, THE, THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WERE DEVELOPED FOR THIS TOWN, WHICH I THINK WERE, WERE REALLY CONSIDERATE.
LIKE I KNOW THAT SOUNDS MAY NOT SOUND GREAT, BUT UM, THERE'S JUST, THERE IS SOMETHING INHERENT TO THE, TO THE, UM, DEPERSONALIZED PRESENCE OF THESE DATA CENTERS WHICH DON'T EVEN GENERATE LIKE WORK OR LABOR OR ANYTHING.
UH, THEIR, THEIR LIFESPANS ARE INORDINATELY SHORT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE OF, OF THE RAPID CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY.
WHAT WORKED TODAY WON'T WORK FOR TOMORROW.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT CAN BE REUSED NECESSARILY FOR MET DATA CENTER.
SO THERE WERE A LOT, LIKE THERE WAS ALL OF THESE RISKS HERE.
PLUS I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ECOLOGICAL RISKS,
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THE HEALTH RISKS, THE WATER SITUATION.THERE ARE SO MANY LIKE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS THERE, BUT THERE ARE ALSO POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH LEAVING US EXPOSED BY NOT HAVING GOOD PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
BUT WHEN THE LONG, WHEN IT COMES, WHEN, WHAT'S THE WORD? WHEN NOT THE PEDAL HITS THE METAL WINDOW.
AND, AND THE OTHER AMAZING THING WAS TO SEE HOW MUCH THEY LOVE FARM OIL, HOW MUCH THEY LOVE THE BEAUTY, HOW MUCH THEY HAVE THE NATURE.
WE MAY BE THE DAVID IN THIS SITUATION, BUT WE CAN STAND UP TO GOLIATH, ESPECIALLY IF WE ALL COME TOGETHER.
AND I THINK THAT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS APPROPRIATE OR NOT, BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE HAVE TO ACT OUR CONSCIENCE.
WILL THERE BE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE REPERCUSSIONS DOWN THE LINE? YES, THERE WILL BE POSSIBLY, BUT LIKE FOR MYSELF, I THINK WELL, BUT WE CAN SLEEP TODAY AND WE KNOW WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
SOMEBODY MAY END UP BEING STRONGER, BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT PROTECTING THIS TOWN FROM DATA CENTERS, PARTICULARLY GIVEN HOW AMAZINGLY ALL OF THESE TOWNSPEOPLE HAVE COME TOGETHER AND SUPPORTED THAT IS A REALLY GOOD THING.
WELL, THE BEAUTY OF FRONT ROYAL, THE SPECIALNESS OF FRONT ROYAL WAS ALL TIME.
CHALMER, FRONT, ROYAL, ALL THOSE ARE AMPLY REPRESENTED.
PEOPLE HAVE CLEARLY SPOKEN THAT IS WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS.
AND YOU WERE VERY ARTICULATE, THERESA ABOUT
NOBODY COULD HAVE SAID IT BETTER.
UH, I THINK WE DID THIS WORK BACK IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.
I THINK WHAT WE DID HAD IT BEEN IMPLEMENTED WOULD'VE BEEN THE PROTECTION THAT WE, UM, SO I'M SORRY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
UH, AND THAT WE NOW ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT ALL OVER AGAIN IN A WAY THAT NOW I THINK IS FRAUGHT WITH MORE DIFFICULTY THAN WE WOULD'VE HAD IN SEPTEMBER.
I DON'T WANT DOWN IN CENTERS, BUT I ALSO THINK THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE, WELFARE OF THE TOWN IS NOT ADVANCED BY INVITING A LAWSUIT THAT THE TOWN CAN ILL AFFORD, UH, TO PAY FOR.
SO, UH, ON THE OTHER HAND, FRONT ROYAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.
WE'VE ALWAYS GONE OUR OWN WAY, SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH IT.
ONE, ONE THING OF THE ADVANTAGE OF, UM, BEING THE CHAIR, I GET TO GO LAST
SO IT'S THIS, IT'S BEEN A LONG AND CHALLENGING ROAD AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS LAST YEAR.
UM, UH, AND IT, IT IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE THE, THE FOLKS IN TOWN, THE DEDICATION WORKING TOGETHER.
THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME, UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME MEANNESS OF COURSE THAT GOES ALONG WITH WHENEVER THERE'S A PASSION AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE AND HOPEFULLY THAT COMES TO AN END.
BUT HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF RESEARCH INVOLVING REGULATION, LAND USE, GEOMETRY, PHYSICS, SCIENCE, HUMAN SOUND AND VIBRATION PERCEPTION WERE BROUGHT TO BEAR IN ORDER TO MAKE EACH OF THE VERSIONS OF THIS REGULATION AND PROHIBITED LANGUAGE FOR THE TOWN LEADERSHIP, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, OTHER JURISDICTIONS ALSO, WERE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE IN TOWN AND ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUND AND VIBRATION AREAS.
'CAUSE AT THE TIME WE WERE CUTTING EDGE, I WANT TO THANK THE TOWN'S ATTORNEY, THE PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THE TOWN RESIDENTS FOR THE DILIGENT EFFORTS THEY PUT TOGETHER OVER THE LAST YEAR TO BRING US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE THEIR OWN EXPERTISE AND DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO BEAR TO ADVISE THE TOWN COUNCIL, BUT ULTIMATELY THE POLICY DECISION WAS LEFT TO THE COUNCIL.
ALSO NOTE THAT THIS PROCESS HAS AGAIN DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION CAN HAVE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
THE TASK FORCE TODAY GENERATE THE DEFINITIONS AND PROHIBITION LANGUAGE TO PREVENT DATA CENTERS ANYWHERE WITHIN THE TOWN LIVING.
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLETE THIS TASK TO THE ABSOLUTE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AND TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THE TOWN COUNCIL'S POLICY DECISION WHILE ENSURING THE ORDINANCE IS CLEAR, ENFORCEABLE AND AVOIDS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVE WE'VE DONE.
THIS EFFORT DEFINES DATA CENTERS, PROVIDES A LAYERED DEFENSE AGAINST ABUSE, CLOSES, LOOPHOLES, AND PROTECTS OTHER BUSINESSES THAT MAY, UM, USE COMPUTING CAPABILITY FROM BEING SWEPT INTO PROHIBITION.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
CAN I ADD ONE THING? YOU ALREADY SPOKE, I THINK THE RECORD, I THINK THE RECORD SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT SO MUCH OF THAT WORK THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID LAST YEAR IS TO YOUR CREDIT BECAUSE YOU'RE THE ENGINEER WHO HAD RECENTLY COME ON BOARD THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHO KNEW THE RESOURCES AND THE
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SCIENCE.AND I THINK YOU GET A GREAT DEAL OF THE CREDIT FOR THE WORK THAT WAS DONE AND ALL OF THAT.
I'D LIKE TO NOW CALL FOR A ROLL CALL.
WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO INCLUDE THE RATIONALE IN THE ORDINANCE OR IS THE ORDINANCE NOT A PLACE FOR THAT? WELL, THE LAW IS THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S SECTIONS OF A, UH, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR CURRENT ZONING ORDINANCE WHERE EACH ZONING DISTRICT HAS A STATEMENT OF INTENT FOR THAT DISTRICT.
WHEN WE'RE ADDING PROHIBITIVE LANGUAGE, IT'S ADDING A SECTION THAT SAYS, HEY, THIS IS PROHIBITED.
AND THE DEFINITION BEING CLEAR SET IS WE'LL HAVE THAT REAL PROTECTIVE ELEMENT IN IT.
THE DEFINITION ALSO WOULD NOT BE AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO HAVE A STATE OF INTENT.
AND, AND THERE IS A SECOND LEVEL.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE WORKING GROUP, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HEALTHY SAFETY, THE REASONS THIS IS BEING DONE HAVE TO BE BACKED UP WITH DATA.
AND THAT, THAT, THAT'S BEYOND US AT THIS POINT.
LIKE THE, THOSE IN CASE WE ARE CHALLENGED, YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO GO MEET THAT CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE AGREEMENT AND THE MOTION'S PASSED AND THAT IS THE END OF THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.