Town Council Regular Meeting

The Town of Warrenton P.O. Box 341 Warrenton, VA 20188 P (540) 347-1101 F (540) 349-2414 November 9th, 2022. Regular Town Council Meeting Minutes Attachment 1: Handouts to Council from Citizen’s time. November 9th, 2022.  The Town of Warrenton P.O. Box 341 Warrenton, VA 20188 P (540) 347-1101 F (540) 349-2414 November 9th, 2022. Regular Town Council Meeting Minutes Attachment 2: Citizen Comment Emails and Form Submissions From: "noreply@civicplus.com" on behalf of "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: 21 Oct 2022 18:37:38 0500 To: """ <lpaul@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Public Comment [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Name CHARLES CARROLL IV Address 9532 Carr Lane City Delaplane State VA Zip Code 20144 Email Address Phone Number Committee, Board, or Planning Commission Commission Type Agenda Item Amazon Comment No to Amazon next round Country Chevrolet! Green space…where does their plan fit? Open space? Energy…can green energy and the aquifer and our Faquier tax dollars support more data and a business that is sketchy on the rules? Infrastructure…Do Faquier tax payers need to pay for towers and look at them? New energy if approved should support equity and the local tax payers and equality.  Water…Can the local aquifer cool their needs without hurting the rest of us? Who pays for their infrastructure… Amazon that is… How many more doe we need…Prince William, Brandy Station etc… This is not Loudon County who has sold their soul… How much data do we need with towers and substation(s)… I am happy to speak to all. Warrenton is a lovely city that does not need to support Amazon as the entrance on the east side whether one is a Democrat or Republican. Say no to Amazon and their towers… Charles and Geraldine Carroll Delaplane, VA Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From: "noreply@civicplus.com" on behalf of "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: 24 Oct 2022 18:29:06 0500 To: """ <lpaul@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Public Comment [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Name Michele Husfelt Address 9067 John Mosby Hwy City Upperville State Va Zip Code 20184 Email Address Phone Number Committee, Board, or Board of Zoning Appeals Commission Type Agenda Item Amazon Warehouse Comment Please save the small town appeal and idyllic countryside of Fauquier County by not allowing a monstrous warehouse to invade our beautiful county. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From: "noreply@civicplus.com" on behalf of "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: 25 Oct 2022 15:50:21 0500 To: """ <lpaul@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Public Comment [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Name Thomas Marshall deButts Address 1415 Snowden Road City Delaplane State VA Zip Code 20144 Email Address Phone Number Committee, Board, or Town Council Commission Type Agenda Item Amazon Data Center Comment I am writing to urge the Council to postpone any action approving the massive data center in town due to the noise and vibration that will be caused by the center. The noise will be a permanent loss of the quiet that is a part of Warrenton and once lost, cannot be regained. Approval of this proposal will permanently change Warrenton’s small-town appeal and Fauquier County’s rural character, and significant noise and visual impacts will affect citizens and visitors alike. Citizens and visitors will be greeted by a fifty-foot-high building on an elevated site, right at the eastern entry to Warrenton. The data center and power lines will be visible from many parts of both Warrenton itself and the surrounding countryside.  Please don't sell out the town for such a short-term financial gain at the expense of the town and its residents. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From: "noreply@civicplus.com" on behalf of "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: 3 Nov 2022 18:30:15 0500 To: """ <lpaul@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Public Comment [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Name Brooke Scales Address 15463 Quail Ridge Drive City Amissville State VA Zip Code 20106 Email Address Phone Number Committee, Board, or Town Council Commission Type Agenda Item Shutting down street eating at denim and pearls Comment Just wanted to say thanks for shutting down the street eating. Hope you can sense the sarcasm. My husband is physically disabled and has a very serious auto immune disease which means not only can we not eat inside he can’t climb stairs. So thanks for making our favorite restaurant completely shut down for us. Making the few things we can enjoy just out of reach. Just have to tell my disabled husband that he isn’t important and he can’t enjoy the same things people who have use of their legs can. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From: "noreply@civicplus.com" on behalf of "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: 4 Nov 2022 09:44:04 0500 To: """ <lpaul@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Public Comment [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Name KIM PINELLO Address 7280 BURKE LANE City WARRENON State VA Zip Code 20186 Email Address Phone Number Committee, Board, or Town Council Commission Type Agenda Item OUTDOOR SEATING Comment Please bring back the outdoor seating on Main Street. Why in the world would you take these away??? Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From: "noreply@civicplus.com" on behalf of "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: 7 Nov 2022 20:05:24 0600 To: """ <lpaul@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Public Comment [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Name Sue Worden Address 295 Gay Road City Warrenton State VA Zip Code 20186 Email Address Phone Number Committee, Board, or Town Council Commission Type Agenda Item CPA/ZMA/SUP 2022-01 Waterloo Junction Mixed-Use Center Comment I have several concerns about this proposal, which do not appear to have been addressed by the Planning Commission. One - I am concerned about the predominance of impervious surfaces in the submitted plans and the corresponding lack of adequate landscaping buffer, for which the developer is requesting a waiver. The plans show that the majority of the property will become buildings, streets, parking areas, sidewalks, and other impervious surfaces. If you've ever driven past this property after a good rain, as I have done many times, you've noticed that this property is "low lying" and subject to ponding throughout. The addition of massive impervious surfaces will only exacerbate the existing drainage issues. I am further concerned that runoff from this property, if developed as proposed, will flow onto adjacent existing streets and residential properties and create flooding during heavy rainfall that does not occur now. Two - I am concerned about the public safety impact of what the plans show as concrete walkways leading from each unit along Norfolk Drive to a sidewalk running along Norfolk Drive. This design will create a dangerous situation, in which visitors to these units (and residents with excess vehicles) will want to park along Norfolk Drive and the adjacent Plain Road, in order to avoid Broadview Avenue and thereby more conveniently access the interior of the development "from the backside". Norfolk Drive and Plain Road are narrow two-lane streets that do not, even now, easily or safely handle street parking -- especially not near the busy intersection with Bear Wallow Road. As a matter of public safety, the submitted plans need to be amended to remove the sidewalks leading to and from Norfolk Drive; instead, fencing or other barriers need to be added to the plans, to absolutely preclude resident or visitor access to the development from anywhere along either Norfolk Drive or Bear Wallow Road. Three - I am concerned about what appears to be inadequate parking in the plans for this development. Just this past Friday evening, November 4 around 8:00 PM, I happened to drive past McMahon's, and I noticed that patrons' vehicles parked at the restaurant had overflowed onto unpaved grassy areas. This was not an uncommon occurrence. I've noticed it many times before. To put this another way, during busy times, McMahon's draws a large crowd, and the parking is already inadequate just for the restaurant crowd. When you add to that the residents of 47 town home units plus 6 apartments, visitors to those homes, plus patrons of the proposed retail establishment, there is no way, just no way, that the parking proposed for this development will be adequate or even close to adequate. Indeed, it will be so inadequate that parking will necessarily spill out onto adjacent streets, and that spillover will unfortunately increase the rate of accidents in the area. Four - I am concerned about a 3600 square foot retail building being proposed, in addition to everything else, without any hint of what type of retail that might be, how that retail establishment will impact parking and traffic patterns, whether  the retail building will provide both an attractive and suitable "front" onto Broadview Avenue as well as a "backside" that is not an eyesore for patrons of McMahon's or the residents and visitors to the new town homes and apartments. I don't object to retail, per se, and it could be a positive addition to the development. However, there is also much potential for a retail development that would be detrimental. If and when Town Council approves this development, I urge the inclusion of language to grant to Town Council a strong voice and control over the type of retail occupying the 3600 square foot building and all the particulars. Five - Finally, I have what I'll characterize as a more philosophical concern about this development. It's not stated in the planning documents made available to us, at least not that I could find, but in the Fauquier Times recently, it was reported that the sales price of the new town homes would be in the neighborhood of $500,000, not including monthly HOA fees. That price point is quite high for this area, for what are proposed to be smaller town homes only 16 feet wide -- even for new construction with "luxury" features. As such, these new homes will remain out of reach for residents who are employed locally (typically at lower wages than paid elsewhere in Northern Virginia) as well as younger residents and young couples who are just getting started. I suggest that construction of these high priced homes as planned -- presumably crowded together to extract the maximum profit for the developers -- is not in the best interest of the Town of Warrenton or its residents. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From: "noreply@civicplus.com" on behalf of "noreply@civicplus.com" <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: 7 Nov 2022 21:10:48 0600 To: """ <lpaul@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Public Comment [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Public Comment Name Sue Worden Address 295 Gay Road City Warrenton State VA Zip Code 20186 Email Address Phone Number Committee, Board, or Planning Commission Commission Type Agenda Item SUP 2022-03 Amazon Data Center Comment I support Planning Commission recommending approval of the Amazon Data Center request. Properly designed and constructed data centers make excellent fiscal sense without negative impact to Town or County residents. A number of potential downsides to the Amazon Data Center have been identified, ranging from the possible need for visually unacceptable overhead power transmission lines to the possibility of "humming" noise emanations. In reading through Staff analysis of these and other factors, I see that the Planning Commission has satisfactorily addressed all citizen concerns that I've heard raised. In addition, Amazon has made significant concessions as part of this process, for example, agreeing to  fund burial of power lines to the data center, reflecting their responsiveness to concerns raised by Town and County residents. My only affiliation with Amazon is that of a "not Prime" customer who occasionally orders merchandise online. I'm an age 65+ retired homeowner. I pay real estate and other taxes to both the Town of Warrenton and Fauquier County. As we all know, taxes go nowhere but up. Even with the Amazon Data Center and other new commercial developments, our taxes will go up, because that's just the way of things. However, without the Amazon Data Center and other commercial developments, our taxes will rise at a truly alarming rate, like what we've seen over the past couple of years. I can't afford more of that! Can you? In order for the Town and County to maintain the services that we residents expect, two things have to happen: (1) our elected officials must maintain budgetary vigilance and be prudent in spending our tax dollars; and (2) tax revenue must increase to compensate for inflation and other cost drivers. For a number of reasons, the worst way to increase tax revenue is to extract additional taxes from residents. The best way to increase tax revenue is to attract low impact businesses -- businesses that contribute to the tax base while placing few burdens on local resources. A well-designed, well-constructed Amazon Data Center is just such a business, and it deserves our support. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From: "Tammy Hartzler" < > Sent: Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:56:45 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Native American Heritage Month Proclamation [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello, I am with the Fauquier Courthouse Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Currently, I serve as the Chair for the chapter’s American Indians Committee. I am contacting you today, because I would like to request a proclamation from Fauquier County for Native American Heritage month in November. Can you please contact me as soon as feasible to discuss? Below is my contact information. Thank you! Tammy D. Nuckols-Hartzler, MPA Sent from my iPad From: "Tammy Hartzler" < > Sent: Sat, 15 Oct 2022 12:38:49 0400 To: "citizencomment" <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Re: Automatic reply: Native American Heritage Month Proclamation [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. I do not need my comment read out loud. I have talked to the Mayor and Steven about the proclamation. Thank you so much! Tammy Hartzler Excuse my brevity, I am using talk to text. On Oct 12, 2022, at 4:56 PM, citizencomment <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> wrote: Thank you for your email, while there is no guarantee your comment will be read aloud please know it will be part of the minutes. Town of Warrenton From: "Stephen" < > Sent: Fri, 21 Oct 2022 20:12:01 +0000 To: "citizencomment@warrentonva.gov" <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Amazon [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please vote No against Amazons new data center. Steve Jablonski Brandywine Valley Civil War Roundtable From: "CHARLES CARROLL" < > Sent: Fri, 21 Oct 2022 17:26:15 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Amazon site [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. As a resident of Fauquier County, I oppose the Amazon proposal in Warrenton next to Country Chevrolet. It will ruin the eastern entrance to a country town. The electricity and water consumption from the aquifer are an issue. Where will the power come from as we try to make our grid secure with green energy? The power lines should be built only to help people and not Amazon. The substation for them is not needed for our present needs. Say no to Amazon and their proposals. The taxpayers of Virginia should not subsidize Amazon. I am hoping to see that project due much like Disney in Manassas. Our lovely area can survive without helping Amazon and the insatiable need for data . Keep it country. We have maintained our open space since 1999. Charles and Geraldine Carroll Delaplane, VA. Cell From: "Tanina Linden" < > Sent: Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:48:36 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Big threat to the invaluable landscape of the Heritage Area [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Town of Warrenton, Please do not grant Amazon permission to build a 220,000 square-foot data center on the 42-acre tract where Route 17 and Routes 15 & 29 converge. In addition to the data center, project approval would likely lead to the addition of large electrical transmission lines across Fauquier County, as well as a new 8-acre substation. All of this construction will create a gruesome eyesore! Approval of this proposal will permanently change Warrenton’s small-town appeal and Fauquier County’s rural character. The significant noise and negative visual impacts will affect citizens and visitors alike, who will be greeted by a fifty-foot-high building on an elevated site at the eastern entry to Warrenton. The data center and power lines will be visible from many parts of both Warrenton itself and the surrounding countryside. Please help protect the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area’s scenic landscape by turning down this inappropriate proposal. Let Amazon put this monstrosity in an area that has already been ruined by over development. Please protect the beauty that still remains in Virginia! Thank you! Sincerely, Tanina Linden Tanina Frouge Linden, CFP® From: "Regan Washer" < > Sent: Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:00:22 +0000 To: "citizencomment@warrentonva.gov" <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Amazon Data Center work session [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. I have sent previous emails and will continue to do so on this topic. We MUST NOT approve this amazon data center project. The promise of tax revenue does not justify the demolition of our small town/ rural county. One we open the flood gates to big tech companies, we will see an influx of special exemption allowances, zoning request changes, etc. Regan Washer Residence in Orlean, VA From: "Catherine Johns" < > Sent: Wed, 26 Oct 2022 10:11:00 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Amazon Data Center A Voting Citizen's Concern [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Sirs, I am extremely concerned that Amazon is seeking the Warrenton Town Council’s permission to build a 220,000 square-foot data center on a 42-acre tract adjacent to Country Chevrolet where Route 17 and Routes 15 & 29 converge. Approval of this proposal will permanently change Warrenton’s small-town appeal and Fauquier County’s rural character, and significant noise and visual impacts will affect citizens and visitors alike. Citizens and visitors will be greeted by a fifty-foot-high building on an elevated site, right at the eastern entry to Warrenton. The data center and power lines will be visible from many parts of both Warrenton itself and the surrounding countryside. This data center is a threat to our incredible historic scenic landscape. It is not what the town, the residents, the visitors and the general public at large want. Please don't be short sighted and blinded by Amazon's attempt to destroy our neighborhoods for profit. Best regards, Catherine Johns From: "Karen Belle" < > Sent: Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:57:35 +0000 (UTC) To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Please do not allow data centers [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Good Evening - I am a 37 year resident of Loudoun County. I have experienced the changing of our rural, peaceful, almost idyllic area into a fast paced, overcrowded, & unsightly example of greed. Please please please do not do the same to Fauquier County. The mega centers/ Data centers requested are unsightly. Take a drive on Rt 28 in Sterling, or anywhere in Ashburn, & you will see. And what is to happen when these gigantic gray buildings are deemed to be obsolete in a few years time? What then? Please do not make the mistakes made in Loudoun. Protect the beauty & history of your county. Say ‘no’ to data centers. Karen Belle Hamilton Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS From: "Denise Schefer" < Sent: Wed, 2 Nov 2022 13:17:14 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Fwd: Planning Commission Meeting 10/25 Attachments: Hampton Inn Parking Lot.jpg, Hampton Inn Top Floor.jpg [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Denise Schefer < > Date: Wed, Nov 2, 2022 at 12:49 PM Subject: Planning Commission Meeting 10/25 To: Susan Helander <shelander@warrentonva.gov>, <jlawrence@warrentonva.gov>, <sainsworth@warrentonva.gov>, <gjohnston@warretonva.gov>, Ali Zarabi <AZarabi@warrentonva.gov>, <Rstewart@warrentonva.gov> Good Afternoon - I attended the Planning Commission meeting last week, and would like to offer the following comments: • The building elevations and renderings shown on October 25th were very different from the ones presented at the July 26th work session. At least one of the renderings shown last week from Route 17 still seems incorrect as the fence that would go around the perimeter was not included. I think it was the second rendering presented. • Commissioner Lawrences' comments about the photos that Wetland Solutions took around town were warranted. Better photos and line of sight studies should have been provided. Obviously the views would be very different from November-April when all the leaves would be off the trees as Commissioner Johnston noted, and also very different if trees were to be cut down on the proposed data center site. • Commissioner Stewart was asking about how many households and businesses would have line of sight to the building. A PEC viewshed study indicates that within a three mile radius, 4,094 residences and businesses would see it. 1,699 of those are outside the town limits, so I hope the Planning Commission and the Warrenton Town Council take into account comments from county residents as this project would really impact them if approved. • A few nearby locations that were not photographed were the Hampton Inn, the Holiday Inn and the Baymont (formerly the Comfort Inn). These are the three major hotels in Warrenton and all three would have views of the proposed data center (according to both the Amazon and PEC viewshed studies), especially the Hampton Inn. See the attached photos showing the view of the proposed data center from the parking lot of the Hampton Inn and from the top floor. The Holiday Inn would also have a direct line of sight to the power lines if those were to go in from Meetze Rd to the Blackwell Road site. This is not the vision that Warrenton wants to portray to visitors coming into town, and perhaps something you have not considered yet. • John Foote's comment about this building not being the tallest in town was inaccurate, and the comment about "if you were to go to other buildings of roughly similar height or higher you expect to see a similar profile" was irrelevant. At 56' with the equipment on the roof, this building would be the tallest building in Warrenton (topography not being taken into account), the one with the biggest footprint; and the other larger buildings in town aren't surrounded by a security fence and they don't make significant noise 24x7. There are no buildings in Warrenton like this one. • It seems very unlikely that Amazon could only hire town of Warrenton residents for the data center positions. I think lawyers would have a field day with that one! • I applaud Commissioner Zarabi's comments as they are completely in line with the majority of town and county residents. A large number of town residents spent 2 1/2 years coming up with the comp plan for the town, and data centers were not included. That was on purpose, and not part of the vision of the town. New Town 2040 called for a mixed use area, not a large data center with a fence around it. Like Commissioner Zarabi, I am confident that John Foote could bring additional applications for that land that are actually consistent with the comp plan. • The issue of a lot of cars getting in and out of that immediate area was mentioned. Has VDOT or an independent highway engineer done an in depth study to determine solutions for getting larger numbers of people in and out? It seems like we are just throwing our hands up and saying it can't be done, when maybe we just need to take a fresh look at finding an answer, or call on new experts. There is a lot of road frontage with Route 17 and the site is very close to Route 29, so it would seem that with a little creativity it can be done. • I agree with Commissioner Ainsworth's comments that all the virtual learning and working has to be processed somewhere, however, I disagree with his comments that if we rely on it being in another county that it is "too NIMBYish" and this data center is a "reasonable use." I don't think people have taken a NIMBY approach to this, they have taken a NITWBY (Not In The Wrong Back Yard) approach. This is the wrong back yard, and I think the information presented to you by Protect Fauquier, CFFC and PEC has shown that beyond a doubt, in addition to all the  comments you have received from the general public. The community is telling you that a 56' tall building on a hill as you enter Warrenton with a security fence around it that makes noise and can be seen for up to 3 miles away is not a reasonable use for the property. If data centers are going to be approved in Fauquier they need to be in the areas designated for them in the county (Vint Hill and Remington), and then revenue sharing worked out with the BOS to give some of that money to the town for their spending. I think you would have public support for this. This is the correct backyard. • I am confused by Commissioner Ainsworth's concern that nothing has been built on this property and there seemed to be a "building something is better than doing nothing" notion. I would suggest that Warrenton is on a slippery slope and if this data center is approved more will likely follow, and there are no "redos" with this decision. "Nothing" on that property is a million times better than the wrong "something" on that property. • The noise study that Amazon presented is inaccurate. I hope you will review the study done by Dr. John Lyver (noise specialist for the Navy/NASA) as it demonstrates that the proposed data center would be in violation of both town and county noise ordinances during most of the day/night. For this reason alone, this application should be voted against. • Towards the end of the meeting Commissioner Lawrence seemed encouraged by the prospect of Amazon sharing the cost to bury the distribution lines from the proposed substation to the proposed data center. Burying the distribution lines is already the responsibility of the applicant, so it is not a new concession, and they would only run about 250'. With regards to transmission lines, Amazon and Dominion cannot make any promises that they will be buried. The SCC has the final say as to where the lines would be routed and whether they would be above or below ground. There are 6600 miles of transmission lines in Virginia and only 1% are buried. The Planning Commission and Warrenton Town Council would be making the decision with blinders on if they approve the data center/substation based on Amazon/Dominion assurances that the lines would go underground. The citizens of Fauquier County deserve better than this. "It is the citizens who should benefit from the decisions of their elected officials, not special interests such as Amazon, the data center industry, Dominion Power and the landowners who will reap many millions of dollars more for their properties if data centers are built." - CFFC Thanks for your consideration and I welcome your comments. I'll be passing on more inforamtion about the recent Town Hall soon. Denise Schefer Lake Whippoorwill Resident/Fauquier County Highlands Townhouse Owner/Town of Warrenton From: "Denise Schefer" < > Sent: Wed, 2 Nov 2022 13:21:58 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Fwd: Planning Commission Meeting 10/25 Attachments: Hampton Inn Parking Lot.jpg, Hampton Inn Top Floor.jpg [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please disregard my previous email. Thank you. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Denise Schefer < > Date: Wed, Nov 2, 2022 at 1:17 PM Subject: Fwd: Planning Commission Meeting 10/25 To: <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Denise Schefer < > Date: Wed, Nov 2, 2022 at 12:49 PM Subject: Planning Commission Meeting 10/25 To: Susan Helander <shelander@warrentonva.gov>, <jlawrence@warrentonva.gov>, <sainsworth@warrentonva.gov>, <gjohnston@warretonva.gov>, Ali Zarabi <AZarabi@warrentonva.gov>, <Rstewart@warrentonva.gov> Good Afternoon - I attended the Planning Commission meeting last week, and would like to offer the following comments: • The building elevations and renderings shown on October 25th were very different from the ones presented at the July 26th work session. At least one of the renderings shown last week from Route 17 still seems incorrect as the fence that would go around the perimeter was not included. I think it was the second rendering presented. • Commissioner Lawrences' comments about the photos that Wetland Solutions took around town were warranted. Better photos and line of sight studies should have been provided. Obviously the views would be very different from November-April when all the leaves would be off the trees as Commissioner Johnston noted, and also very different if trees were to be cut down on the proposed data center site. • Commissioner Stewart was asking about how many households and businesses would have line of sight to the building. A PEC viewshed study indicates that within a three mile radius, 4,094 residences and businesses would see it. 1,699 of those are outside the town limits, so I hope the Planning Commission and the Warrenton Town Council take into account comments from county residents as this project would really impact them if approved. • A few nearby locations that were not photographed were the Hampton Inn, the Holiday Inn and the Baymont (formerly the Comfort Inn). These are the three major hotels in Warrenton and all three would have views of the proposed data center (according to both the Amazon and PEC viewshed studies), especially the Hampton Inn. See the attached photos showing the view of the proposed data center from the parking lot of the Hampton Inn and from the top floor. The Holiday Inn would also have a direct line of sight to the power lines if those were to go in from Meetze Rd to the Blackwell Road site. This is not the vision that Warrenton wants to portray to visitors coming into town, and perhaps something you have not considered yet. • John Foote's comment about this building not being the tallest in town was inaccurate, and the comment about "if you were to go to other buildings of roughly similar height or higher you expect to see a similar profile" was irrelevant. At 56' with the equipment on the roof, this building would be the tallest building in Warrenton (topography not being taken into account), the one with the biggest footprint; and the other larger buildings in town aren't surrounded by a security fence and they don't make significant noise 24x7. There are no buildings in Warrenton like this one. • It seems very unlikely that Amazon could only hire town of Warrenton residents for the data center positions. I think lawyers would have a field day with that one! • I applaud Commissioner Zarabi's comments as they are completely in line with the majority of town and county residents. A large number of town residents spent 2 1/2 years coming up with the comp plan for the town, and data centers were not included. That was on purpose, and not part of the vision of the town. New Town 2040 called for a mixed use area, not a large data center with a fence around it. Like Commissioner Zarabi, I am confident that John Foote could bring additional applications for that land that are actually consistent with the comp plan. • The issue of a lot of cars getting in and out of that immediate area was mentioned. Has VDOT or an independent highway engineer done an in depth study to determine solutions for getting larger numbers of people in and out? It seems like we are just throwing our hands up and saying it can't be done, when maybe we just need to take a fresh look at finding an answer, or call on new experts. There is a lot of road frontage with Route 17 and the site is very close to Route 29, so it would seem that with a little creativity it can be done. • I agree with Commissioner Ainsworth's comments that all the virtual learning and working has to be processed somewhere, however, I disagree with his comments that if we rely on it being in another county that it is "too NIMBYish" and this data center is a "reasonable use." I don't think people have taken a NIMBY approach to this, they have taken a NITWBY (Not In The Wrong Back Yard) approach. This is the wrong back yard, and I think the information presented to you by Protect Fauquier, CFFC and PEC has shown that beyond a doubt, in addition to all the comments you have received from the general public. The community is telling you that a 56' tall building on a hill as you enter Warrenton with a security fence around it that makes noise and can be seen for up to 3 miles away is not a reasonable use for the property. If data centers are going to be approved in Fauquier they need to be in the areas designated for them in the county (Vint Hill and Remington), and then revenue sharing worked out with the BOS to give some of that money to the town for their spending. I think you would have public support for this. This is the correct backyard. • I am confused by Commissioner Ainsworth's concern that nothing has been built on this property and there seemed to be a "building something is better than doing nothing" notion. I would suggest that Warrenton is on a slippery slope and if this data center is approved more will likely follow, and there are no "redos" with this decision. "Nothing" on that property is a million times better than the wrong "something" on that property. • The noise study that Amazon presented is inaccurate. I hope you will review the study done by Dr. John Lyver (noise specialist for the Navy/NASA) as it demonstrates that the proposed data center would be in violation of both town and county noise ordinances during most of the day/night. For this reason alone, this application should be voted against. • Towards the end of the meeting Commissioner Lawrence seemed encouraged by the prospect of Amazon sharing the cost to bury the distribution lines from the proposed substation to the proposed data center. Burying the distribution lines is already the responsibility of the applicant, so it is not a new concession, and they would only run about 250'. With regards to transmission lines, Amazon and Dominion cannot make any promises that they will be buried. The SCC has the final say as to where the lines would be routed and whether they would be above or below ground. There are 6600 miles of transmission lines in Virginia and only 1% are buried. The Planning Commission and Warrenton Town Council would be making the decision with blinders on if they approve the data center/substation based on Amazon/Dominion assurances that the lines would go underground. The citizens of Fauquier County deserve better than this. "It is the citizens who should benefit from the decisions of their elected officials, not special interests such as Amazon, the data center industry, Dominion Power and the landowners who will reap many millions of dollars more for their properties if data centers are built." - CFFC Thanks for your consideration and I welcome your comments. I'll be passing on more inforamtion about the recent Town Hall soon. Denise Schefer Lake Whippoorwill Resident/Fauquier County Highlands Townhouse Owner/Town of Warrenton From: "Florence Keenan" < > Sent: Wed, 2 Nov 2022 15:39:47 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Cc: "Holder Trumbo" <holder.trumbo@fauquiercounty.gov>; "Gerhardt, Rick" <Rick.Gerhardt@fauquiercounty.gov>; "maryleigh.mcdaniel@fauquiercounty.gov" <maryleigh.mcdaniel@fauquiercounty.gov>; "kevin.carter@fauquiercounty.gov" <kevin.carter@fauquiercounty.gov>; "Butler, Chris" <Chris.Butler@fauquiercounty.gov> Subject: Amazon Data Center Application [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Planning Commissioners and Town Council Members: I am a resident of Fauquier County and live near Rectortown in the Marshall District on a farm. I am also Chair for Fauquier of the Goose Creek Association, Vice Chair of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, and a board member of the Citizens for Fauquier County. However, I submit this comment only as a resident and tax payer. Please delay any vote this year on Amazon’s application to build a data center in Warrenton. What’s the rush? Why has this Planning Commission meeting been scheduled so close to year-end before newly appointed and elected members of the Planning Commission (PC) and Town Council TC), as well as the public, have an opportunity to analyze a complete SUP application? If the PC votes on November 15th, the TC likely will have the opportunity to vote in December on the application, regardless of the outcome of the PC vote. Think about it—is that really appropriate and in the interests of the public that you serve? Will that pass the “smell” test given all that we have learned about the process leading up to this application? Warrenton is not only the town residents’ home, it is our county seat. The residents of this county have worked for over half a century to preserve and protect this county from the environmental depredation and degradation that has occurred in nearby counties. The public and the PC have revealed many flaws in Amazon’s application and the process that led to it. To approve such an application now would only breed public mistrust for our elected officials and other irreparable consequences for the town and county. Do not vote prematurely on this Amazon application. Give this application its due and delay any vote until the application is complete and town staff, officials and the public have had an opportunity to evaluate it fully, fairly and impartially. Sincerely yours, Florence/Lori Keenan From: "Jennifer Gray" < > Sent: Fri, 4 Nov 2022 11:02:47 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Amazon data centers special use permit, concerned resident opposition [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Warrenton Town Officials, I am writing to express my concern for allowing Amazon the requested Special Use Permit (SUP) 2022-03 Amazon Data Center. I strongly oppose you approving this special use permit. I was born and raised in Fauquier County and returned to live here again six years ago to raise my own family because of what an agriculturally friendly community it is. We live here to enjoy the countryside and do not want to lose what we hold most dear to us by this kind of harmful development. This special use permit should not be approved because: 1. It does not meet SUP criteria consistent with the town's comprehensive plan. 2. The electrical transmission towers will litter our county and scenic views and lower property values. 3. It will create major noise and viewshed impacts. 4. It will open the door for even more data centers to come and ruin our way of life here. 5. This will not bring the right kind of economic development that we need or long-term job creation. I urge you to deny Amazon Data Services, Inc. request for this special use permit and protect our way of life in Fauquier County. Thank you for your time and attention. Jennifer Gray Fauquier County resident From: "Bridget Bradshaw" > Sent: Sat, 5 Nov 2022 16:29:17 0400 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Please Keep Outdoor Seating Year Round!! [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello, I live just a few blocks away from Main Street, and the highlight of our week is walking over to Molly's to eat at the picnic tables and listen to music. It is such a lovely part of the town, and is most charming when the street is closed down and bustling, with people eating, drinking, and visiting with each other. I love imagining that one day it is closed to cars and exists entirely as a pedestrian walk, like in downtown Winchester. Cars already have to creep along, and there's plenty of parking one street over. I don't know how far of a leap it would be, but I think it would be embraced. I would love to see Warrenton generally increase walkability and bikeability, as it has clearly already begun to. Part of that is having outdoor meeting spaces, like the eating areas, which remind people how nice it is to live in this small town. I know there are many reasons why you take down the seating in the winter, but as a resident, I want you to know how much we would appreciate and value it. Thank you for your time and consideration, Bridget Bradshaw From: "Stephen Plante" < > Sent: Sun, 6 Nov 2022 05:13:43 0500 To: """ <citizencomment@warrentonva.gov> Subject: Regarding the Amazon Data Center and Electric Towers [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON'T APPROVE AMAZON'S SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO BUILD A DATA CENTER IN HISTORIC WARRENTON! MAINTAIN THE BEAUTY AND CHARACTER OF WARRENTON! A CONCERNED CITIZEN OF WARRENTON. Stephen Plante 248 Onyx Way, Warrenton, VA 20186  The Town of Warrenton P.O. Box 341 Warrenton, VA 20188 P (540) 347-1101 F (540) 349-2414 November 9th, 2022. Regular Town Council Meeting Minutes Attachment 3: Signed Legislation