4 Things You Can Do To Fight Data Center Sprawl In Culpeper
Tap tap tap…. Is this thing on?
It’s been a while since we were active.
Blame it on the muggy Virginia heat, or witnessing large swaths of land being cleared for development, but this summer a group of Culpeper residents decided they’d had enough of rampant data center development in our town.
That’s why, in a heavily air-conditioned room, we revitalized Save Culpeper. We’re the same grassroots group we have always been, but we’re coming back with a little more organization and determination. We’re ready to stand up for our community, our environment and our home.
And we’re not alone.
We’ve seen an uptick in folks who’ve signed up to join us, and have met an increasing number of new faces at meetings and presentations about the issue (like this one by the PEC).
It’s obvious that many of us do not want these hyperscale AI data centers in our backyards.
So, what are we going to do about it?
Get up to speed: The latest on data center development in Culpeper
What exactly is happening with data center development these days? Let’s break it down.
Development of three data center projects is currently underway in Culpeper and Culpeper County.
The Marvell Developments (Amazon) data center in the county, east of Stevensburg, south of Route 3, totaling 445,000 square feet, has been under construction for several years. Although originally projected to be in operation by now, it is still awaiting a connection to Dominion’s power lines.
Data Bank is currently building the large, ugly building east of Culpeper at the intersection of Route 29 and Route 3 in Culpeper County. A total of 1.3 million square feet of buildings was approved for this site.
The Culpeper Technology Campus (CTC) site within the town of Culpeper, north of Route 3 and west of McDevitt Drive, is currently being cleared for development by Stack Infrastructure. 2.1 million square feet of development was approved for this site.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Copper Ridge site, situated adjacent to the Culpeper National Cemetery, is scheduled for October 9th.
Concerned residents met with Culpeper Town Manager Chris Hively and Planning Director Andrew Hopewell on August 25, 2026 to discuss their concerns. Hively told attendees that Stack anticipated beginning construction on the first (of four) buildings at CTC in the third quarter of 2027, with additional buildings being constructed each quarter thereafter. The four buildings at Copper Ridge would follow on the same schedule immediately after CTC, Presumably with completion of both occurring by mid-2029. Read a summary of the meeting here.
And for those of you just getting acquainted with the issue, check out this article we published last year about how got here.
Get involved: What you can do to fight data center sprawl this month
Large data centers, built before the electrical grid can accommodate them, are powerless.
You are not.
Here are four things you can do in October to stand up to reckless tech development.
Make noise about noise.
Data centers emit two types of noise: high frequency, which you can hear, and low frequency. You can’t hear low frequency noise, but these vibrations have been proven harmful to those who live, work, and study nearby.
In early 2025, a noise consultant retained by Culpeper recommended the town develop a new noise standard to include both high- and low-frequency noise. Surprisingly (perhaps), town officials have done nothing to address these concerns for both high- and low- frequency emissions. The town’s current noise ordinance was written to address noisy neighborhood parties, not the 24-hour hum that can be emitted by data centers.
Considering the CTC and Copper Ridge are in close proximity to Culpeper’s Head Start and Early Head Start (a daycare and preschool), as well as housing developments and residential areas, having rigid noise restrictions in place is essential.
If you agree, consider writing the Culpeper Town Council and demanding modern, commonsense noise restrictions based on ordinances passed by other towns and cities in Virginia.
Say it to their face.
Emailing and calling is a great way to get your voice heard. But showing up in person to a town council meeting or a Culpeper County Board of Supervisors meeting can be very impactful. Make a regular practice of showing up to these public meetings and advocating for the protection of our community and natural environment.
The next Board of Supervisors meeting is: October 6th at 7:00pm, 302 N Main Street
The next Culpeper Town Council meeting is: October 13th at 7:00pm, 302 N Main Street
We hope to see you there!
Rally around the cause.
Join us from 1pm to 3pm on October 11th at the Culpeper LOVE sign for the March for a Moratorium rally. In partnership with the Piedmont Environmental Council and Block Valley Link, we’ll be advocating for a pause on data center development in Virginia. This rally will be a great opportunity to meet your neighbors, listen to guest speakers and network with others who are passionate about this issue. Invite your friends on Facebook!
Help Save Culpeper save Culpeper!
As a growing grassroots group, we are always looking for volunteers willing to lend their time and expertise. If you have a special skill, like graphic design, public speaking, writing or organizing (or if you’re just really enthusiastic), chances are, we could use your help. Reach out to us with your idea and how you’d like to support Save Culpeper on our mission.
While the landscape of our town is quickly changing, so are the politics around data center development. If we all spend a few minutes a week (or even a month) working on solutions, together we can shape the future of Culpeper.
Hopefully, that shape won’t be a huge ugly rectangle full of computer parts.
