PUBLIC MEETING: Proposed Plaza 500 Data Center

Thursday, December 5

An in-person public hearing will be held by the Virginia State Corp Commission (SCC) on the electrical substation and transmission lines for the proposed Plaza 500 data center.  The public hearing will be at North Springfield Elementary School, 7602 Heming Court, Springfield, Virginia 22151.

Virginia’s SCC is required to approve, deny, or modify this application. The public has the right to participate in the process and share concerns and recommendations.

This public hearing is the community’s opportunity to tell the SCC directly our concerns.

A denial or modification of the transmission line and substation application is an opportunity to stop the proposal or mitigate its impact on the surrounding community and environment.

• You do not need to register in advance.
• Each speaker will receive 5 minutes to share their concerns about the proposed electrical substation and transmission lines.
• Speakers should share what they feel the impact of the substation and transmission lines will have on them, their family, and their community. This can include impact to your quality of life, economic impact and home value, surrounding environment, views, community connection, etc. (whatever is important to you).
• You can still attend in support even if you aren’t sure if you want to speak.

The SCC considers the following factors in deciding whether to approve, deny, or modify an application. You don’t need to address all three.

1. Contrary to the public interest (i.e., inconsistent with surrounding residential communities, harmful to residents, etc.). The negative impacts to the residential communities outweigh the desires of one private company. It is not possible to “reasonably minimize” adverse impacts given the location.
2. The application is inconsistent with Fairfax County zoning (i.e., the county comprehensive plan requires new transmission lines be placed underground whenever possible, visual and auditory impacts should be a key element in evaluation, and located as unobtrusively as possible)
3. Environmental impacts (nearly all aspects are in a Resource Protection Area)

Full information on the public hearing and about the proposal can be found at the SaveBrenMar website.

Please feel free to reach out to Tyler Ray, president@brenpointehoa.org, with any questions or for additional information.