This week: Updates on Albemarle County’s rules for riparian buffers and a meeting on AC44.
Our Region
PEC focuses on nine counties and one city in the northern Piedmont of Virginia: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock.
We also team with local organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in a much larger region, including the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor. In addition, we are proud to serve as fiscal sponsor of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on land use and policy in the greater Washington D.C. area.
Facts About the Gigaland Data Center Project
A massive data center complex known as Gigaland is being proposed in Remington, Fauquier County VA. The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) opposes the outsized development, which we believe will overwhelm the town and open the door for more data centers and transmission lines, straining electricity and water supplies in Fauquier and contributing to unhealthy air, noise and water pollution.
Cville Land Use: Week Ahead for August 11, 2025
This week: The Albemarle Board of Supervisors is slated Wednesday to adopt an economic development strategic plan at a joint meeting with the Albemarle Economic Development Authority
Rivanna Festivities & Take Action
This text was taken from an email alert sent out on July 29, 2025. Sign up for email alerts →
Dear Supporter,
If you’ve spent any time around the Rivanna River this summer, then you’ve experienced first-hand the benefits of increased public access to nature and the environment. This is a key focus area for PEC because access to nature improves the health and well-being of individuals and communities, it creates a deeper connection to place and often inspires enhanced stewardship and love of the environment.
Read on to learn about upcoming happenings around and about the Rivanna River this summer and fall — and how you can get involved!
Ways to Get Involved
Sign the Petition: Make Free Bridge Lane Permanently Car-free
Late last year, Albemarle County closed Free Bridge Lane to automobile traffic, creating a highly accessible and safe riverside space for walking, running and biking. That action has proven quite popular, and the Board of Supervisors will discuss making the closure permanent at its August 6 meeting.
In our petition, we’re asking Albemarle County to:
- permanently transition Free Bridge Lane from underutilized roadway to public park
- fund and build a first wave of safety, access and environmental improvements
- budget significant funding for buildout Free Bridge Lane and the larger Rivanna River Greenway
There is no guarantee this will happen without strong public support. Here are some ways you can help:
- Sign the petition. This is a simple way to be on record supporting this effort.
- Contact the Board of Supervisors directly and tell them why places like Free Bridge Lane are important to you.
- Attend the Aug. 6 meeting and consider speaking during the public comment period (at the beginning of the meeting).
Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting
Wed., Aug. 6, 1 – 4:30 p.m. (Public Comment around 1:30 p.m.)
County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road
Although the county has long term plans for a promenade, right now, Free Bridge Lane is a bit of an empty canvas where new temporary installations or popup events are possible. Some are already happening. If you have an idea for improvements, projects, activities, or events you would like to see in the future, you can share your ideas here.
A team of PEC Summer Fellows has prepared an idea book of (mostly) practical ways to transform the disused roadway into a lively park. Take a look!
The wider network of riverside greenways (and blueways!) will be topics at two upcoming gatherings.
Mobility Alliance Meeting + Social
Fri., Aug. 8, 4 – 6 p.m.
Decipher Brewing, 1540 Broadway Street
Do you like to walk, bike, run or paddle – or just move freely in fresh air? The Piedmont Mobility Alliance is a coalition focused on making it easier and safer to get outdoors. This casual gathering will be a chance to learn, share, and collaborate, with a special emphasis on the Rivanna River.
All are welcome! There will be beer specials, plenty of non-alcoholic options, snacks, plus pizza and pretzels for purchase.
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Annual Rivanna Basin Conference
Wed., Sept. 24, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Boulevard
This year’s conference focuses on water supply planning within the context of the region’s data center development and a growing need for drought resilience. PEC Director of Land Use, Julie Bolthouse, will speak about our data center reform efforts across the state. Additional speakers, tabling organizations and a full agenda to come.
Speaking of the Rivanna, registration will open this Friday, Aug. 1 for the annual Loop de Ville Trail Fest!
Loop de Ville Trail Fest
Sat. Sept. 27, All Day (Raindate: Sun., Oct. 5)
Hikes, runs, rides of various distances, Rivanna River Company, 1520 E High Street
The Loop de Ville celebrates Public Lands Day on the beloved Rivanna Trail, which encircles Charlottesville and links to the Rivanna River. The day features numerous hikes, walks, runs, and bike rides for people of all abilities, including a 3-mile riverside walk and half-loop — with guides and support along the way.
An event of this size needs the support of the community to make it happen. Consider signing up to be a sponsor or volunteer, both of which are needed.
See you in the community,
Faith Schweikert
Communications Specialist
[email protected]
(434) 977-2033 x7026
Cville Land Use: Week Ahead for August 4, 2025
This week: Albemarle Supervisors to hold work session on data centers, take vote on future of Free Bridge Lane
PFAS-Contaminated Biosolids Proposed in Orange: Voices Needed by Aug. 4
America’s largest biosolids land-application company (Synagro) is seeking a permit to spread more PFAS-contaminated biosolids on farmland across Orange County, including fields adjacent to Pamunkey Creek, which already has elevated levels of PFAS contamination.
Support More Data Center Regulation in Culpeper County!
On Wednesday, Aug. 13, the Culpeper County Planning Commission will vote on a zoning text amendment that would require a conditional use permit for data centers in Culpeper, a much-needed change.
The SCC Must Protect Ratepayers From Big Tech’s Skyrocketing Energy Bill
Weigh in! The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is hearing the 2025 biennial review of Dominion Energy’s rates, terms, and conditions for generation and transmission infrastructure. This rate case is the first opportunity to address the electricity rate structure for the largest concentration of data centers in the world.
Speak Up: Advocate for Responsible Regulation and Transparency in Albemarle’s Data Center Ordinance
This text was taken from an email alert sent out on August 1, 2025. Sign up for email alerts ➝
Dear Supporter,
Conversations about data center development have made their way steadily down PEC’s service region — from the “data center capital of the world” in Loudoun County to historic and environmentally significant sites in Culpeper and Orange counties, and now down to Albemarle County. PEC has been there every step of the way.
Last year, PEC and the Southern Environmental Law Center successfully advocated that larger data centers (those over 40,000 square feet) must go through the local legislative review process of a Special Use Permit, which requires opportunities for public feedback. Now, as the county further develops the existing Data Center Ordinance, PEC is focused on ensuring the county’s new ordinance includes responsible regulations and transparency to protect Albemarle County from potential adverse impacts from data centers.
Check out the impacts of data centers and the actions PEC is taking at the local and state level on our data center landing page, and learn more about Albemarle County’s data center ordinance on the county’s webpage. Let’s advocate together.
Data Center Impacts
The impacts of explosive data center development include increased utility rates for all consumers, new massive transmission lines and substations, impaired air quality, threats to local water supply, and Virginia’s pending failure to meet our hard-fought climate goals by continuing to rely on energy generated using fossil fuels.
Locally, the potential for noise pollution, visual obtrusion and diesel generator-caused air pollution of large data centers near parks, neighborhoods and medical facilities are reasons enough to ensure that community members have the ability to voice their concerns through a Special Use Permit when data center proposals are introduced in the future.
What’s in the Proposed Data Center Ordinance
To protect our communities from the impacts of massive data centers, those larger than 40,000 square feet should be required to go through a Special Use Permitting process, even in Industrial Districts. In their data center ordinance, the county is proposing rules that would allow much larger data centers to be built by-right, without public input.
We are especially concerned that Albemarle County is proposing:
- Data Center Overlay Districts in Light Industrial-zoned parcels in the Development Areas. Within these districts, data centers as large as 500,000 square feet could be built by-right. Data centers larger than those upper limits would require Special Use Permits.
- Data centers located with the Data Center Overlay Districts will be classified with two size tiers to reflect the relative sensitivity of exisitng land uses to data centers and their impacts:
- Tier 1: 125,000 square feet, or about two football fields
- Tier 2: 500,000 square feet, or over eight football fields; by-right Tier 2 data centers could be as large as the entire square footage of the Fifth Street Station shopping center
- Preliminary county-identified potential Data Center Overlay District locations include: alongside U.S. Route 29 North at Rivanna Futures and the Emerson campus; in the North Fork Industrial Park near the airport; behind Martha Jefferson Hospital on Pantops; near Heyward Community Forest at the I-64 and U.S. Route 29 interchange; and along Avon Street north of I-64.
- Data centers can still be built outside of these overlay districts through a Special Use Permit process so the public will have a chance to voice their concerns.
Additional Concerns:
- Impacts of water use, including the county’s proposed requirement for cooling through re-use of water and closed-loop systems
- The potential inadequacy of the county’s noise ordinance to address the unique noise generation of data centers
- Threats to public health associated with the operation of large numbers of diesel and gas generators, particularly during power outages
Take Action
Tell the Board of Supervisors that all proposed data centers larger than 40,000 square feet within industrial districts, should go through a Special Use Permit process.
By proposing Data Center Overlay Districts, where very large data centers would be by-right development with no opportunity for public comment and no review by Planning Commissioners and the Board of Supervisors, the county seems to be deliberately attracting data center development and failing to protect the public interest.
Given the very real potential adverse impacts of data centers and the rapidly evolving technologies, building design, and data center operations, the county should prioritize protection of public health, safety, and welfare with this new Data Center Ordinance by requiring all data centers larger than 40,000 square feet in industrial districts to go through a Special Use Permit process.
- Email your comments by Aug. 5: Email your comments to the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission at [email protected] and [email protected] with the subject line “For Responsible Regulation and Transparency in Albemarle’s Data Center Ordinance.”
- Attend the Aug. 6 Work Session: Showing elected and county officials that their citizens are paying attention to the decisions that impact them is significant. Tell your friends and family what you heard after the work session.
- Submit questions to county staff: The public can submit questions on the data center ordinance landing page that will be answered publicly by county staff.
- Learn more about the Draft Ordinance: The public will be able to speak at the Planning Commission’s Public Hearing Sept. 23 and the Board of Supervisors’ Public Hearing on Nov. 19. Stay tuned for a PEC community meeting and talking points from us.
Thank you!
Rob McGinnis, PLA FASLA
Senior Land Use Field Representative
Albemarle & Greene Counties
[email protected]
(434) 962-9110 ext. 7049
Related News Coverage: July 31, 2025: 29 News: Albemarle County grapples with proposed data center regulation
Loudoun Updates – Summer 2025
Not only have the months been warmer in Loudoun, but many issues are heating up, too. We have been tracking them all to understand and share the community impacts along with opportunities to speak up.