HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β Residents of the Wyndham community are speaking out against plans for a massive data center campus that would be built just feet from their neighborhood, citing concerns about noise, environmental impact and health risks.
Michael Brodziak has spent days spreading awareness throughout the Wyndham community, distributing 1,500 flyers to notify neighbors about the proposed development.
The project, proposed by real estate company HHHunt, is called the Hunting Hawk Technology Center. It would be built on about 400 acres of property in Hanover County, adjacent to the Wyndham community in nearby Henrico County.
The proposal requires rezoning the area to develop a 10-building data center that could support 900 megawatts of power.
"The overwhelming consensus is we don't want it here. It is too big, it is too noisy, there's too many health risks, the environment is going to be impacted. We don't want it," Brodziak said.
On Monday night, the Wyndham Board of Directors and a Smart Development Task Force comprised of community members gathered at Shady Grove Elementary to discuss concerns with residents from both counties.
The most prevalent concerns include light pollution and noise generated by the data center, as well as health and environmental impacts to residential areas near the Chickahominy River.
One resident expressed particular worry about water usage and safety impacts.
"Everybody in Hanover County on the other side of this project is on a well and they are talking about humongous amounts of water, so we are very concerned about the water, we are concerned about our safety, our health," the resident said.
HHHunt has submitted plans to rezone the land from agricultural use to limited industrial use for data centers. The company told Richmond BizSense that they determined it is the best alternate use for the site since plans for a senior residential area had failed in an earlier court battle.
The company plans to hold a community meeting before Hanover County leaders begin consideration of the project.
While residents say they welcome growth in both counties, they are asking for data centers to go in areas designated for industry.
"We like data, we like AI. We just don't want it here. Again, not because it's breaking up our scenic view or scenery, it's just really, really bad," Brodziak said.
A community meeting hosted by HHHunt to discuss their proposal will be held on November 17 at South Anna Elementary School in Hanover County.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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