Controversial Prince William County data center vote deferred until March

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - The Prince William County Board of Supervisors has deferred the vote on a controversial plan to build massive data centers in Bristow to later this year.

The board met overnight and decided to postpone the decision until Tuesday, March 7.

This new plan has been the subject of contentious debate. It would call for the construction of as many as 14 centers on 270 acres of land near schools and homes near the intersection of Linton Hall and Devlin Roads. The project would be called Devlin Technology Park and promises jobs and other opportunities.

Opponents of the plan argue that the construction noise, and the on-going noise from air conditions to cool the massive buildings, would affect their daily lives.

"We are the epicenter of this disaster about to unfold in Prince William County. It's men, women, and children and what really gets to me emotionally is they don't care about the children - they don't care about the schools - it’s only about money. It's about these giant monstrosities," said Dr. Steven Pleickhardt, who opposes the plan, Tuesday. He led a a protest against the projects Tuesday.

A decade ago, plans for the area called for hundreds of homes to be built instead of the currently proposed date centers.

In other parts of Prince William County, homeowners have protested and rallied against the development of data centers in their backyards.