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Environmental groups are pressing Fairfax County for answers over a proposed $166.8 million land sale that they fear could clear the way for another data center in Chantilly.
The deal, which still requires approval from the Board of Supervisors, would transfer 41.7 acres at 3721 Stonecroft Boulevard to private developer Starwood Capital Group.
Part of the county’s police training grounds currently occupies the property, including a firearms range and driver-training area. Fairfax County says no residential or mixed-use development is proposed or expected at the site.
County officials anticipate that the sale would generate new tax revenue. Proceeds would also help pay for modern police training facilities located alongside a new Criminal Justice Academy.
The county emphasizes that selling the property would not approve a data center there. Environmental advocates, however, believe that use may be the likely outcome and are questioning the transparency, climate implications and public-health effects of the deal.
In a letter to supervisors, the groups asked whether county leaders had entered any agreements with the prospective buyer, whether alternative uses were considered and how nearby low-income communities could be affected.
“If this project would help us further our climate goals in Fairfax County, that would be great,” said Renee Grebe, Nature Forward’s Northern Virginia conservation advocate. “But we know that just even a single project can set us back on all the goals that we have.”
A spokesperson for Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said the county has no data center proposal and therefore could not answer questions specific to such a project. The spokesperson directed questions about the potential agreement to the county’s frequently asked questions page.
Advocates seek a more public process
Ting Waymouth, a Northern Virginia organizer with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said many organizations first heard about the possible transaction through news coverage.
If a data center proposal moves forward, Waymouth said the county should consider battery technology and restrict the use of fossil fuels whenever possible.
When advocates asked whether any data centers built on the land would use energy sources that do not emit carbon, Waymouth said the county responded that Virginia does not require it. She argued that Fairfax County should choose to lead on the issue instead of relying on the absence of a state mandate.
County officials said the nearest homes are almost 3,000 feet from the property and the closest school is 1.3 miles away. Fairfax County zoning rules require data centers to remain at least 200 feet from the lot line of a residence or neighborhood.
According to the county’s online FAQ, officials initially received an unsolicited offer for the land. The county then contacted other potentially interested companies, received competing offers and obtained an independent appraisal to determine whether the price reflected fair market value.
Ann Bennett, land-use chair of the Sierra Club Great Falls Group, said the county should conduct a request-for-proposals process focused on how the property will be used and give the public an opportunity to participate.
“This is, if not a sweetheart deal, definitely sweetheart access,” Bennett said.
Grebe acknowledged that the industrial surroundings could make the property suitable for a data center. But she said the cumulative effects on nearby communities remain troubling, particularly when combined with industrial development across the county line in Loudoun.
A public hearing on the proposed sale is scheduled for March 17. Under a possible county timeline, construction of replacement facilities would not begin until summer 2028.