Sample records · Stafford County, VA
Stafford Technology Campus
The conditions Stafford County attached to this approval, each taken from the government document and cited to the page. These terms apply to this project; they are not general rules for the jurisdiction.
| Decided by | Stafford County Board of Supervisors |
| Date | Sept. 17, 2024 |
| Vote | 6-1 (Yea: Allen, Bohmke, Diggs, English, Gary, Yeung; No: Vanuch). Companion R24-187 also 6-1. Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0 (1 absent) on July 24, 2024. |
| Approval | Rezoning |
| Applicant | Stafford Technology LC (Peterson Companies with STACK Infrastructure; proffer 30 names 'STACK- Public Affairs' as community contact) |
| Size | 503.84 acres |
| Record status | Verified from the official record |
Adopted conditions
| Condition | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Noise | ||
Daytime noise from the site is capped at 55 dBA where it reaches residential districts.Source text"shall be subject to the following maximum permissible sound levels: 55 dBA (in residential and mixed use zoning districts), 65 dBA (in commercial and office zoning districts), and 79 dBA (in industrial" | 55 dBA | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 11 |
Nighttime noise is also capped at 55 dBA in residential districts, with lower commercial and industrial caps than by day.Source text"following maximum permissible sound levels: 55 dBA (in residential and mixed use zoning districts), 60 dBA (in commercial and office zoning districts), and 72 dBA (in industrial" | 55 dBA | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 11 |
Limits apply at the property boundary or anywhere on an affected property.Source text"Such levels shall be measured at the Property boundary or at any point within any other property affected by the noise." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 11 | |
A site-specific sound study is required before each final site plan, and its mitigation must be built in.Source text"Prior to the approval of each final site plan for the Property, the Applicant shall provide a Sound Study" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 13 | |
Post-occupancy sound measurements are required six months after each building opens and every summer until five years after the last building.Source text"six (6) months after a final occupancy permit for each data center building is issued and then annually between the months of June and August." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 12 | |
| Setbacks and buffers | ||
Data center buildings and equipment yards must stay 150 feet from the property line next to the neighboring residential parcels.Source text"In no event shall the principal data center building or equipment yards be located within one hundred fifty feet (150') of the Property line adjacent to Tax Map Parcels 38-22, 38-125, 38-126, and 38-130." | 150 ft | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 8 |
A 50-foot Type C transitional buffer is required next to those parcels.Source text"A fifty foot (50') transitional Type C buffer per the Design and Construction Standards for Landscaping, Screening, and Buffering dated May 21, 2019, shall be required." | 50 ft | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 8 |
Any substation south of the new connector road must be at least 550 feet from the neighboring residential parcels.Source text"the substation may not be located within five hundred and fifty feet (550') from Tax Map Parcels 38-22, 38-125, 38-126, and 38-130." | 550 ft | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 8 |
| Size and height | ||
Data center buildings may be up to 105 feet tall without a separate height permit.Source text"The maximum height of any data center building on the Property may be one hundred and five feet (105')." | 105 ft | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 7 |
| Water | ||
The applicant builds the bridging water and sewer improvements the county had budgeted at about 58.6 million dollars.Source text"He said that these improvements would now be the responsibility of the applicant, at a cost of $58.6 million." | $58,600,000 | Stafford Board of Supervisors minutes, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 28 |
Before reuse water arrives, potable cooling water is capped at 1 million gallons a day or six buildings, and the water agreement limits it to five.Source text"the use of a maximum of one million (1,000,000) gallons per day of potable water for industrial cooling of the data center buildings constructed" | 1,000,000 gal/day | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 14 |
Cooling must use reuse water as the sole primary source once the county reuse system reaches the site.Source text"all public water demands required to be used for industrial cooling for data centers will utilize reuse water as the sole primary water source" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 15 | |
The applicant must help fund capacity upgrades at the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Facility for flow from land newly added to the Urban Services Area.Source text"Applicant will contribute funding for necessary upgrades to the capacity of the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Facility" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 15 | |
Phasing of buildings against reuse-water milestones is left to the separate Water Service Agreement rather than the proffers.Source text"The Applicant shall include language in the Water Service Agreement that assigns phasing of the development on the Property for data centers requiring potable water for cooling systems" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 16 | |
| Cooling | ||
Cooling type is not specified, though the water proffers assume water-based cooling.Source text"To allow for public potable water required to be used for industrial cooling in data center buildings" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 14 | |
| Power and generators | ||
Generator testing is limited to weekday daytime hours.Source text"The testing of data center building generators shall be limited to weekdays between the hours of 7AM and 6PM." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 27 | |
| Decommissioning | ||
Abandoned substations and transmission facilities must be removed and the land restored within 180 days of the abandonment notice.Source text"Within one-hundred eighty (180) days of the notice of abandonment, the Applicant (or future owner of the Electric Facilities) will dismantle the Electric Facilities" | 6 months | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 8 |
| Payments | ||
The applicant pays 1.5 million dollars for fire and rescue at the first building permit.Source text"make a monetary contribution to Stafford County Board of Supervisors in the amount of one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) to be used for fire and rescue purposes." | $1,500,000 | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 11 |
| Site conditions | ||
Ground and rooftop equipment must be screened, and generators facing the residential parcels need a solid wall.Source text"generators that are facing the above-mentioned tax map parcels and not screened by buildings shall be screened by a solid wall." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 10 | |
The applicant builds a new connector road and intersection improvements instead of paying transportation impact fees.Source text"The transportation improvements outlined below are in lieu of any applicable transportation impact fees and as full credit for transportation impact fees" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 18 | |
Each phase needs a construction mitigation plan, and the land must be cleared in phases rather than all at once.Source text"The Applicant commits to clearing the Property in phases based on development of each campus in accordance with applicable County Code requirements and will not mass grade the entire Property at one time." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 26 | |
Each building needs an emergency management action plan with county public safety before its building permit.Source text"The Applicant shall develop an emergency management action plan with Stafford County Public Safety divisions to ensure site safety management coordination" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 26 | |
| Process and reporting | ||
A construction public liaison with a toll-free number and email is required through six months after each building's final occupancy.Source text"The Applicant agrees to designate at least one public liaison and publicize a toll-free phone number and email address during construction on the Property." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 25 | |
The applicant gives the county a rolling three-year development schedule.Source text"The Applicant shall provide the County's Zoning Administrator with a written update and general projected development schedule for the Property" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 26 | |
| Other | ||
Total development is capped by daily vehicle trips, which works as an indirect floor-area cap.Source text"The combined uses on the Property shall not exceed 4,356 average vehicle trips per day." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 18 | |
Up to six electric substations are allowed without further permits.Source text"A maximum of (6) electric substations shall be permitted on the Property without requiring any further conditional use permit(s)." | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 7 | |
Tonal noise sources must meet limits 3 dBA lower.Source text"For any source of sound that has a prominent discrete tone component, the levels established by Proffer 15 above shall be reduced by 3 dBA." | 3 dBA | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 12 |
At least 63 acres of trees must be preserved.Source text"In no event shall the total tree preservation area on the Property be less than sixty-three (63) acres." | 63 acres | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 10 |
The applicant pays for outside contractors the county needs to review and permit the project.Source text"will reimburse the County's incurred, reasonable costs or fund the County's reasonable estimates for the said third party contractors" | Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024, p. 26 | |
What changed between proposal and vote
Every change documented between the proposed version and the adopted version, including terms that were loosened, dropped or left unchanged.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Term | Proposed | Adopted | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water cap | No numeric cap in proffers; Water Service Agreement to set a capped maximum (July 18, 2024 version before PC) | 1,000,000 gal/day of potable bridging water or 6 buildings, whichever first; WSA limits to 5 buildings | Added |
| Water source | If reuse is delayed, extra bridging water needs approval of the County Department of Utilities | If reuse is delayed, extra bridging water needs a proffer amendment (Board action); fallback duties if reuse construction not started by Dec 31, 2028 | Tightened |
| Water and sewer payment | No Aquia WWTF contribution | Applicant contributes funding for Aquia WWTF capacity upgrades | Added |
| Construction hours | Construction mitigation plan without phased-clearing commitment | Phased clearing by campus, no mass grading | Added |
| The applicant pays 1.5 million dollars for fire and rescue at the… | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | Unchanged |
| Night noise limit | 55 dBA | 55 dBA | Unchanged |
| Building height cap | 105 ft | 105 ft | Unchanged |
| Generator testing limit | Weekdays 7AM-6PM | Weekdays 7AM-6PM | Unchanged |
Documents
Copies of the government documents cited above, hosted here so the links do not break. Large agenda packets are reduced to the cited pages; each page link opens the right page.
- Stafford Board of Supervisors agenda packet, Sept. 17, 2024
- Stafford Board of Supervisors minutes, Sept. 17, 2024
Instruments in this approval
- Ordinance O24-20, reclassifying Tax Map Parcels 38-29A and 38-124 from A-1 to M-2 with proffers (proposed form in packet; adopted as moved)
- Proffer Statement RC23154931, Stafford Technology Campus, dated September 13, 2024 (add-on to Item 10; packet pp.5-27)
- Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes, September 17, 2024 (Items 9 and 10, roll call)
- Resolution R24-187, Comprehensive Plan amendment (Urban Services Area and future land use, approx. 262 acres)
- Proffer Statement redline dated July 18, 2024 (version before the Planning Commission on July 24, 2024; packet Attachment, pp.1144-1163)
- Rezoning application RC23154931 cover letter and materials, Feb 27, 2023
What remains and what is missing
Final for zoning: Ordinance O24-20 (A-1 to M-2 with proffers dated Sept 13, 2024) and companion Comprehensive Plan amendment R24-187 adopted 2024-09-17. Remaining gates: Water Service Agreement (proffer 20 requires submittal within 60 days and approval before first occupancy), site plans with per-plan sound studies, building permits, DEQ air permits for generators, Dominion interconnection.
No category is marked as missing a document for this record.