Amid Digital Gateway Appeals, More Legal Funds Approved By Prince William Co. Supervisors

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — The majority of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors opted to continue providing funds for the legal battle over the massive Digital Gateway data center project.

On Tuesday, the board approved $400,000 in funds to support the county's case in Digital Gateway lawsuits, with Chair Deshundra Jefferson (D-at large), Supervisor Yesli Vega (R-Coles) and Supervisor Tom Gordy (R-Brentsville) opposed.

County Attorney Michelle Robl told the board the $400,000 is an estimate of funds needed to support ongoing court cases for the remaining fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2026. There are two Digital Gatway rezoning lawsuits and 17 real estate assessment appeals currently being decided in court, according to Robl. The County Attorney's Office sought outside legal counsel for the rezoning and real estate assessment cases.

One of the cases is the lawsuit that the Oak Valley Homeowners Association and a group of homeowners won against the Board of County Supervisors in August. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to appeal the ruling in the Virginia Court of Appeals.

The other rezoning lawsuit, from a group of residents and the American Battlefield Trust, was rejected by a judge in November 2024. The plaintiffs in the case appealed the ruling in December 2024 in the Virginia Court of Appeals.

The additional 17 real estate assessment cases involve residents challenging their increased property values due to the rezoning.

SEE ALSO: Couple Sees Taxes Soar $35K While Trapped By Lawsuits Over NoVA Data Center

The county attorney could not immediately provide an estimate of the Digital Gateway lawsuit costs to the board.

"At some point, we have to have the tough conversations, where do we keep going, which direction do we take and where do we draw the line in terms of how much are we going to continue to tax dollars to keep fighting these lawsuits?" said Vega.

"I've made my stance on this case clear, and I just want to be consistent," added Jefferson.

Supervisor George Stewart (D-Gainesville), who was elected to represent the district that Digital Gateway falls within, expressed regret for voting for the continued legal funds, Prince William Times reported. He called it a "bad vote" and said he wanted to see the Digital Gateway "end the right way, in which case it doesn’t come back."

The Digital Gateway rezoning approved by the Board of County Supervisors in December 2023 would pave the way for a major complex with as many as 37 data centers on about 2,000 acres close to Manassas National Battlefield, according to the Associated Press. The area was previously zoned for agricultural and residential uses. However, the lawsuits have put the development on hold.

As reported by the Prince William Times, the judge's ruling noted the county board did not meet public notification hearing requirements with the Washington Post public hearing notice before the December 2023 rezoning hearing.

Prince William Times reported that a decision on the appeal could be announced later in 2026.