‘Selling out the county’: Hanover residents rally against large-scale data center proposal

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The fight over a proposed large-scale data center campus in Hanover County is far from over. After the county's planning commission delayed its vote in February, residents came out to a meeting Thursday to continue the movement.

As dozens of Hanover residents packed the planning commission meeting room on Thursday, March 19 to voice their opposition, one resident called on the crowd, saying: "If you're against this data center … stand up. This prompted many to rise in unison.

The project, called the Mountain Road Tech Park, would rezone 430 acres near Route 33 and Mountain Road in Ashland, allowing a developer to turn it into a data center campus.

Several neighbors said they fear the project could fundamentally change the county.

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"If we sell out our beautiful rural land and start throwing up data centers … you're selling out the county, you're selling out the people [and] you're selling out our resources," a resident said.

Residents have raised ongoing concerns about energy demand, traffic, infrastructure, environmental impacts and water use.

While developers say the project aligns with the county’s comprehensive plan, many neighbors remain unconvinced.

"We need to study the impacts on our water, our health, our electric bills, and our rural character," said one neighbor.

The Mountain Road Tech Park proposal is scheduled to return to the planning commission on April 18.