HANOVER COUNTY, Va. β Residents from three counties voiced strong opposition Monday night to a massive data center project proposed for rural Hanover County, marking the first time community members stood face-to-face with developers of the controversial Hunting Hawk Technology Center.
Hundreds of residents from Hanover, Henrico and Goochland counties packed the gymnasium at South Anna Elementary School to express concerns about the 400-acre development proposed by HHHunt.
"This is our home, it's where we live and we don't want it here," said Brandy Banton, a Hanover homeowner.
The proposed Hunting Hawk Technology Center would include 10 buildings supporting 900 megawatts of power. HHHunt has filed permits with Hanover County to rezone the area for the project.
Like many who spoke at Monday's meeting, Banton expressed fears about noise, traffic and environmental impacts from the data center.
"Virginia is already the big tech mecca, like, we're the hub basically," Banton said. "We are housing 35% of mega data centers in the world."
The project has drawn opposition from neighboring Henrico County residents as well. Last month, several hundred people packed a school gymnasium in Henrico's Wyndham neighborhood to voice opposition since the project runs adjacent to the West End neighborhood, including the Dominion Club.
Why these Wyndham residents oppose proposed 400-acre data center campus near their community
HHHunt says it's working with consultants to mitigate environmental impacts and create safe buffers for residents. The company states the property will not include a wastewater treatment plant and will contain three electrical substations. The development would be separated from Henrico residents by 450 feet and Hanover residents by 480 feet, according to the developer.
Developers say deep wells will limit water usage.
"We do think that this is a good project and we think we've taken into careful consideration the design to try to make something that can work for Henrico County residents and also Hanover residents where the property is located," said Jonathan Ridout, vice president of real estate development at HHHunt.
However, some residents remain skeptical about unanswered questions and worry the project represents a slippery slope for their rural community.
"Overall, they can make it sound really nice but ultimately it's a data center and where will the next project be?" said Mick Clausi, a Hanover resident.
Banton echoed concerns about local governance, saying residents should pay attention to elected officials' voting records on data center projects.
"They're here doing their job just trying to make it look pretty but at the end of the day it's the board members," Banton said. "People should start paying attention to who's voting for these data centers to be moved in."
HHHunt has filed four permits for the Hunting Hawk Technology Center, including a conditional use permit that would allow taller buildings. The project proposal now heads to Hanover's Planning Commission for consideration, which will trigger another public meeting.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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