McCoart Administration Building

Cheat sheet

May 26 — Prince William BoS Public Hearing (data-center applications)

This is the binding public comment hearing before the Board of County Supervisors votes. Prince William County is the largest active data-center battleground in Virginia; the Digital Gateway corridor along Route 28 and the Manassas Battlefield buffer zone are the central disputes. The Board — not the Planning Commission — makes the final call on special-exception and rezoning applications.

• When. Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 7:30 PM. Doors open by 7:00 PM; sign-in sheet available from 6:45 PM.
• Where. Board Chambers, McCoart Administration Building, 1 County Complex Court, Woodbridge, VA 22192.
• Written comment deadline. [OPERATOR CONFIRM: verify written-comment cutoff from agenda packet — typically 5:00 PM the business day before the hearing. Email address and application reference required.]
• Livestream. pwcva.gov/meetings — check clerk's page for stream link; typically also broadcast on PWC Government Television (Comcast Ch. 23 / Verizon FiOS Ch. 38).

Agenda status

[OPERATOR CONFIRM: pull the specific application numbers (REZO-####, SPEX-####) from the agenda packet posted by the Friday before the hearing. Confirm whether Digital Gateway corridor items or Manassas Battlefield buffer applications are calendared for this session.]

Digital Gateway corridor hearings commonly involve rezonings from agricultural or low-density residential to industrial/data-center use, and special-exception requests for buildings exceeding height or setback standards. Dominion Energy Virginia substation interconnection is a standard condition on all large-load applications in this corridor.

At the podium

• 3 minutes per speaker. Timer visible on the dais; yellow light at 30 seconds remaining, red at zero.
• Cite the application number at the opening: "I'm speaking to REZO-####-####" signals familiarity with the packet.
• Ground arguments in the Prince William County Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance — those are the legal standards the Board must apply.
• If the item is a special exception, the Board has discretion to attach conditions on noise, lighting, setbacks, stormwater, and Dominion interconnection timing. Naming specific conditions strengthens the record.
• Written opposition submitted at the Planning Commission stage is already in the record; reference prior Commission findings by date rather than re-arguing them.

Useful background

• The PW Digital Gateway was designated in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan update as an area suitable for data-center and technology campus uses; however, subsequent amendments have added cumulative-impact review requirements.
• The Manassas National Battlefield Park viewshed is a federal resource; the National Park Service has standing to submit comments on nearby rezonings affecting the visual buffer.
• Dominion Energy Virginia's Northern Virginia transmission constraints are tracked publicly via PJM OASIS interconnection queue filings. PW applicants typically file under the Possum Point or Dooms substations.
• The Prince William Board adopted a Data Center Policy Resolution in 2021 establishing community benefit, grid-impact, and fiscal-impact thresholds for large-scale applications.

Parking and logistics

• Free surface parking at the McCoart Administration Building. Lot entrance off County Complex Court; overflow in adjacent lots.
• Sign-in sheet on the clerk's table at the front of the Board Chambers. Sign in before the item is called — the chair typically calls speakers in the order signed in, per item.
• Overflow seating and a video feed are usually available in an adjacent room if the chamber fills.