Hanover leaders recommend denial of proposed data center
VENN
HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- After hours of public comment and debate, the Hanover County Planning Commission recommended denying a proposed data center campus that would span more than 400 acres.
Many residents from Hanover, Henrico and Goochland counties gathered outside and inside Hanover's government complex ahead of the decision on Thursday, Jan. 15, voicing strong opposition to the project known as the Hunting Hawk Technology Center.
The proposal, led by developers with HHHunt, calls for a 10-building data center campus in the South Anna district, close to the Henrico and Goochland county lines and near nearby neighborhoods.
During the meeting, the vast majority of speakers raised concerns about the project’s potential impacts, including increased traffic, construction disruption, environmental effects, water usage, visual impacts and noise.
"We are sounding the alarm now -- that’s why you see hundreds of people here tonight," one resident told commissioners.
Another speaker warned that the decision could have broader consequences for the county.
"Once you approve a data center, you don’t just approve one building," they said. "You set a precedent. You signal that Hanover County is open to industrial-scale resource extraction at the expense of its residents."
Some residents specifically questioned whether noise from the facility could be adequately mitigated.
Developers argued the project includes multiple safeguards intended to address community concerns. Those include 100- to 200-foot buffers, increased building setbacks, limits on when backup generators can be tested, emissions requirements, and a noise study.
Developers also said they would repair damaged roadways and post a $50,000 bond to guarantee those repairs.
The planning commission’s recommendation to deny the proposal is advisory, not final. The Hanover County Board of Supervisors will still have to review the case. That's expected to happen on Feb. 25.
