Tract withdraws data center application after Chesterfield recommends against it

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The company backing the proposed 700-acre data center in Chesterfield County has pulled its zoning application after it was unanimously recommended against.

On Tuesday, June 17, the new proposal for a data center located on 744 acres at 16100 Branders Bridge Road received a thumbs down from the Planning Commission following a negative review. The Chesterfield Department of Transportation also did not recommend approval on this case

According to Tract, they are planning to submit a new file for redevelopment in the future, but did not discuss the specifics in which they would adjust the proposal moving forward.

"We have withdrawn our application for the Chesterfield project to address specific feedback we have received, including greater alignment with the County's long term transportation goals. We are confident we can make appropriate modifications to address the County`s feedback and intend to resubmit the application in the coming months."

“Where I have a real challenge is where it’s located,” said Gib Sloan, who represents the Bermuda District on the planning commission, during the June 17 meeting.

The data center would offer access to the energy and water line connections in its rural location.

"However, I cannot distance myself because at its most fundamental level, this body is responsible for making land use decisions," Sloan said. "At the end of the day, we need to look at a case through the lens of the health, safety and welfare of its citizens.”

He said he could not support the decision due to its sole access point, which would be along Branders Bridge Road; this would result in what he believes would be poor infrastructure and more traffic should there only be one access point on that road.

The Planning Commission heard from those in support of the data center as well, impacting the Chesterfield community as a whole.

"We believe that working together -- we can really provide a perspective that will keep the Richmond region and Chesterfield County on the forefront of society and bring the benefits of bringing digital infrastructure to everyone," said John Martin, CEO of RVA757 Connects, who aims to work to advance digital, rail and road infrastructure.

"With that unknown and the knowledge that would the road network in that area from a safety standpoint is substandard -- to the point where CDOT is recommending denial because we're not creating the redundancies of the road network to help alleviate some of that traffic pressure off of Branders Bridge Road, I can't ignore that," Sloan said. "I'm not sure how there's a workaround to that if we're not willing to create other access points and have a little firmer knowledge on that."

This news comes less than a month after the county approved two data center development rezonings -- one at 750 Watkins Centre Parkway, a 350-acre property, and Upper Magnolia Green West technology village.