Stafford County Government Center

Cheat sheet

June 2 — Stafford BoS Meeting (data-center applications)

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors holds binding votes on rezonings and special-use permits. Stafford has been a lower-volume but active data-center market, with special-exception applications concentrated near the Aquia Creek watershed and along Route 1 and the I-95 corridor. The Aquia Creek watershed designation adds an environmental review layer to applications that would otherwise qualify for streamlined processing.

• When. Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM. [OPERATOR CONFIRM: verify exact start time from posted agenda — cadence-inferred; Stafford BoS typically meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 7:00 PM.]
• Where. Stafford County Government Center, 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA 22555.
• Written comment deadline. [OPERATOR CONFIRM: verify written-comment cutoff and submission email from the posted agenda packet. Include the application case number in the subject line.]
• Livestream. [OPERATOR CONFIRM: verify whether Stafford provides a video stream for this session — check the county clerk's page for a virtual access link.]

Agenda status

[OPERATOR CONFIRM: pull the specific case numbers (REZ-####, SUP-####, SPEX-####) from the agenda packet posted before the hearing. Confirm whether Aquia Creek watershed data-center applications or Route 1 corridor rezoning items are calendared for this session.]

Stafford County data-center applications have included special-exception requests for industrial facilities near the Aquia Creek tributary system, where state Chesapeake Bay Act and local watershed-protection ordinances impose additional buffer and stormwater conditions. The county's position along the I-95 corridor makes it an attractive logistics and data-center location; however, proximity to the watershed limits some parcels' buildable area and triggers supplemental environmental review.

At the podium

• 3 minutes per speaker (Virginia standard). Timer visible at the podium; yellow light at 30 seconds remaining, red at zero.
• Cite the case number at the opening: "I'm speaking to SPEX-####" or "REZ-####" establishes record clarity.
• Ground arguments in the Stafford County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance. If the site is within or adjacent to the Aquia Creek watershed, cite the county's Chesapeake Bay Overlay District provisions and state Resource Protection Area requirements.
• If the item is a special-use permit, the Board can attach conditions on stormwater management, impervious-surface limits, landscaping buffers, generator emissions, and noise. Name specific conditions worth adding.
• The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department (CBLAD) have standing to submit comments on applications involving Resource Protection Areas; prior comment letters are in the public record.

Useful background

• The Aquia Creek watershed drains into the Potomac River system and is subject to Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act; parcels within the Resource Protection Area (100-foot buffer) face strict impervious-surface limits that constrain large-footprint industrial buildings.
• Stafford County's Comprehensive Plan designates portions of the Route 1 and Route 17 corridors for commercial and industrial use; applications that extend outside those designations require plan-consistency findings.
• Dominion Energy Virginia's Stafford-area substations at Aquia and Garrisonville serve the county; large data-center load requests require interconnection agreements and may trigger substation upgrades with lead times of three to five years.
• Stafford's position between Fredericksburg and Quantico makes it subject to military installation compatibility review for applications near Marine Corps Base Quantico's operational footprint.

Parking and logistics

• Free surface parking at the Stafford County Government Center on Courthouse Road.
• Sign in at the clerk's desk before the public-hearing item is called. The chair calls speakers in sign-in order per application.
• Check the county website the week of the hearing for any room assignments or overflow procedures.