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Environmental advocates are demanding more transparency about Fairfax County’s proposed sale of nearly 42 acres in Chantilly to a data center developer for $166.8 million.
The Board of Supervisors has scheduled a March 17 public hearing on the potential sale of the southernmost third of a county-owned property at 3721 Stonecroft Blvd. The 128-acre site, immediately south of Dulles International Airport and west of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, contains several Fairfax County Police Department training facilities.
Starwood Capital Group, operating as SGC Global Holdings LLC, submitted the unsolicited offer for 41.7 acres.
County officials said Feb. 11 that the police training campus remains important but is arranged in a way that leaves some land underused. They said proceeds from the sale would help pay for a modernized police training facility while returning the sold acreage to the county’s tax base.
The county expects the proposed data center to generate more than $20 million in tax revenue during its first year after completion, though the actual amount would depend on the project’s final design and development.
Advocates seek details before hearing
Five environmental organizations told Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay in a March 4 letter that residents have not received enough information about the transaction.
Representatives of the Sierra Club Great Falls Group, Nature Forward, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Friends of Holmes Run asked the county to explain the proposed deal and the process that produced it.
Their questions include whether the county has signed a memorandum of understanding or another agreement with Starwood or its affiliates, and whether any such documents will be released publicly. They also want disclosure of terms beyond the acreage and purchase price.
The coalition asked whether county officials encouraged the offer despite describing it as unsolicited, and whether other developers or possible uses were considered to secure the best price and public benefit.
The groups also questioned whether sale proceeds could support priorities such as renewable energy, affordable housing or recreation. They requested information about possible air-quality effects on low-income communities, the project’s contribution to countywide carbon emissions and whether its backup power would rely on battery storage or diesel generators.
Proposed land swap rejected
A separate group of civic and environmental leaders previously urged the county to exchange the Stonecroft acreage for the Plaza 500 property at 6295 Edsall Road in Lincolnia rather than accept cash.
SCG owns the 500,000-square-foot Plaza 500 site, which contains warehouses and is within walking distance of the Van Dorn Street Metro station. Plans targeting the property for a data center have drawn concern from some nearby residents.
In their Feb. 16 letter, the group argued that an exchange could give the county a rare opportunity to create a transit-oriented affordable housing development with more than 1,000 units.
The letter was signed by the presidents of the Bren Pointe, Jefferson Green, Ridges at Edsall and Landmark Mews community associations, along with the president of the Overlook Foundation.
McKay rejected the suggestion in a March 2 response. He described the idea as creative but said the county could not pursue it, adding that the Plaza 500 development is a separate matter that will be evaluated independently.