Complied by Dewey Turner, ADVANCE WRITER
PROTECT STAFFORD
Protect Stafford is a bipartisan, grassroots 501(c)(4) organization advocating for responsible data center development that protects Stafford’s communities, natural resources, historic character, and quality of life. The organization works to keep residents informed, encourage meaningful public participation, and promote stronger standards addressing land use, noise, water, power infrastructure, and environmental impacts.
Upcoming Events
Accokeek Center Public Hearing
Wednesday, October 7 | 6:30 p.m.
Stafford County Board of Supervisors
George L. Gordon Jr. Government Center
1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford
The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing for a final decision on the proposed Accokeek Center data center project.
Protect Stafford Public Education Meeting
Saturday, October 10 | 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Howell Library Branch
806 Lyons Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA 22406
Meeting Rooms 1 & 2
Join Protect Stafford for an update on the state of data center development in Stafford County, including current proposals, recent developments, and what residents should know ahead of the October 14 public hearing on the Kings Highway Corridor data center assemblage.
Link to FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EUhcKrxZz/
Kings Highway Corridor Public Hearing
Wednesday, October 14 | 6:00 p.m.
Stafford County Planning Commission
George L. Gordon Jr. Government Center
1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford
The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Kings Highway Corridor data center assemblage, which includes the Forest Lane, Simms Farm, Sisson North, and Sisson South proposals.
More information about current proposals, upcoming hearings, and opportunities to get involved is available at ProtectStafford.com and on the Protect Stafford Facebook page.
SAFEGUARD SPOTSY
Safeguard Spotsy is a grassroots coalition of neighbors and a 501(c)(4) organization advocating for responsible development across Spotsylvania County to ensure the health and well-being of residents and county resources. We work to preserve and protect the history, character, and quality of life of Spotsylvania County and its residents. The organization works at local and state levels to keep residents informed and engaged, and advocates for stronger development standards across Spotsylvania County and Virginia.
Upcoming Events
Safeguard Spotsy Community Meeting
Tuesday, October 6 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Basilico Deli & Bakery
7013 Harrison Road Crossing
Spotsylvania, VA
Join Safeguard Spotsy for a discussion on data center development in Spotsylvania County, its effect on school funding, and the proposed Scarlet Energy Storage Facility in the Chancellor District. Please note Safeguard Spotsy will provide the venue only. Food and beverage are available for purchase at your own cost.
Planning Commission Public Hearing
Wednesday, October 7 | 6:00 p.m.
Spotsylvania County Planning Commission
Holbert Building
9104 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania, VA
The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the 5-year Update to the Spotsylvania County Comprehensive Plan. This update includes the addition of a data center development limit on 45% of industrial zoned land (Chapter 1), overall data center development and guidelines (Chapter 2), as well as data centers designated as a “desired industry” (Chapter 2A).
Link to the Draft Comprehensive Plan: https://spotsylvaniacova.portal.civicclerk.com/event/775/overview
Safeguard Spotsy at the Spotsylvania County Fair
October 8 – 9 | 5 -10 pm
October 10 11 | 2- 10 pm
Merchants Square
9015 Old Battlefield Blvd
Spotsylvania, VA
Join Safeguard Spotsy at the Spotsylvania County Fair. We will have an informational booth on the status of data center development in the county. Come and talk with us to learn how to get involved and learn how to make a public comment and send emails to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
On the Radar:
The Board of Supervisors will be holding a Public Hearing on the Crossroads Technology Campus sometime in October or November. We will post once we have a date for the hearing. Crossroads is a 555 acre data center development in the Lee Hill District. More information about Crossroads can be found at: www.safeguardspotsy.org.
The Scarlet Energy Battery Storage Facility will be coming up for a vote at the Planning Commission in the next couple of weeks. We will post once we have a date for the public hearing. Find more information about that project here: www.safeguardspotsy.org.
About Safeguard Spotsy
Safeguard Spotsy: www.safeguardspotsy.org
Facebook: Safeguard Spotsy
Instagram: @safeguardspotsy
Stafford Data Center Noise Limit Up to 35 Decibels Above Actual Nighttime Background Levels and Up to 31 Decibels Above Actual Daytime Background Levels
From PROTECT STAFFORD
An independent sound study conducted by Noise Control Engineering, LLC (NCE) found that Stafford County’s 55 dB(A) data center noise limit is as much as 35 decibels above actual background nighttime sound levels measured and 31 decibels above actual daytime sound levels measured near three proposed data center sites. Effectively, Stafford’s ordinance allows data center noise far above what residents in these communities hear and experience today, both day and night.
Protect Stafford asks decision makers to consider these findings when reviewing current and future data center applications and to ensure applicants provide comparable, site-specific baseline measurements and sufficient detail to allow meaningful evaluation of projected noise impacts.
NCE monitored six locations near the proposed Simms Farm, George Washington Village (GWV), and Forest Lane data center sites for roughly four weeks in January and February 2026. The study found nighttime background levels of just 20 decibels, with daytime levels as low as 24 decibels, and concluded that Stafford’s existing noise standard is insufficient to protect nearby residents from data center noise disturbances. According to NCE, projects could produce intrusive and objectionable noise “even if staying within the current limits.”
“This study exposes a critical distinction between compliance and livability,” said Erin Sanzero, President of Protect Stafford. “It is hard to translate decibels into everyday experience, but a 55 dB(A) limit is something like living in a suburban neighborhood where your next-door neighbor mows their lawn continuously, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, as a permanent reality. That would be a drastic change from the sound environment these communities experience today. This study shows that meeting Stafford’s data center noise standard does not mean a data center is reasonable or compatible with the homes around it.”
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection identifies an increase of 10 decibels over ambient background as excessive noise. At the Stafford locations NCE studied, the County’s 55 dB(A) limit would allow noise increases of as much as 35 decibels at night and 31 decibels during the day. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation classifies increases of the magnitude identified in Stafford as ranging from “Objectionable” to “Very objectionable or intolerable.”
Local reporting across the country and here in Virginia has shown how persistent data center noise can disrupt sleep, interfere with the use and enjoyment of homes and outdoor spaces, and significantly diminish quality of life. Unlike many of the other sounds people encounter in daily life, data center noise does not stop. The issue is not simply whether a sound can be heard or felt, but what happens when that sound must be endured as a permanent part of daily life.
“Objectionable and intolerable are established regulatory classifications,” said Kevin French, Vice President of Protect Stafford. “They are the direct result of applying recognized benchmarks to the conditions NCE measured here in Stafford.”
The timing is particularly significant for Stafford. Virginia has acknowledged the need for data center noise protection standards, but communities are still making decisions before those protections are in place. Stafford plans to consider roughly 12 million square feet of proposed data center development in October alone, with additional projects moving through the development pipeline.
