Stafford data center paused over concerns of enslaved peoples' graves

STAFFORD, VA. - A proposed 99-acre data center project along Eskimo Hill Road is on pause following a vote by the Stafford County Board of Supervisors to defer applications for the Potomac Creek Campus development.

What we know:

The delay comes amid growing concerns over an estimated 200-year-old cemetery containing an unknown number of gravesites, reportedly belonging to enslaved people, on the property.

The board voted 4–3 to defer the comprehensive plan, zoning reclassification and building height proposals on Tuesday night, urging the developer to thoroughly investigate the site.

In a separate 5–2 vote, the board granted the applicant an application extension of six weeks to two months to complete the necessary cemetery and cultural resource studies.

What they're saying:

The issue brought emotional testimony from local leaders and residents alike.

"My mother is in an unmarked grave, so this is very important to me," Board Chairman Deuntay Diggs said. "I could not support it if we were going to do anything outside of protecting that."

Supervisor Monica Gary cast a dissenting vote, expressing concern that the full scope of the burial grounds remains completely unknown.

"There's no way to know the exact location of the cemetery, how far it spans and how many gravesites exist," she said. 

Local residents are also watching the pause closely.

"Obviously, they’ve paused it for a reason," Stafford resident Edward Burrow said. "If they need to move it, [I hope] they do it with respect to the people who are buried in the cemetery."

What's next:

Under the agreement, the developer must hire an archaeological consultant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources' pre-qualified list to conduct extensive archaeological and genealogical research.

The final report will be submitted directly to the board before any further decisions are made.