The Virginia Court of Appeals has stopped development of what would be the nation’s largest data center complex, slated for a tract next to the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
A three-judge panel ruled unanimously against the Digital Gateway project Tuesday, siding with Prince William County residents and the American Battlefield Trust whose legal challenge hinged on whether the county had given proper public notice for the hearing where its Board of Supervisors approved the development.
“A plaintiff who alleges and proves standing may enforce the mandatory public advertising requirements, even if the plaintiff knew about and actively participated in the hearing,” the judges wrote in their ruling.
Prince William residents have opposed the 37-building data center project for a number of reasons, including concerns about preserving the battlefield. But the hearing notice was the heart of the legal challenge.
