Fauquier Times 12/20/2023

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SWIMMING: Caroline Agee leads Kettle Run; Cummins is new Falcon coach; Eagles look strong too. SPORTS, PAGES 13, 14, 19 December 20, 2023

Our 206th year | Vol. 206, No. 51 | www.Fauquier.com | $1.50 VIRGINIA PRESS ASSOCIATION: BEST SMALL NEWSPAPER IN VIRGINIA 2017-2022

Fauquier supervisors recognize ‘citizens of the year’ Front Porch owner, education farm director among Fauquier residents honored for 2023 By Hunter Savery

Fauquier Times Staff Writer

William Waybourn, a pioneering gay rights leader and local restauranteur who has been embroiled in a bitter and yearslong dispute with the family of a newly elected supervisor, was among a handful of residents recognized as “citizens of the year” by the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors. “It’s very, very heartwarming. I was surprised when Holder (Trumbo) called me, and I told him that there are other people more deserving than me,” Waybourn told the Fauquier Times.

TIMES STAFF PHOTO/HUNTER SAVERY

William Waybourn, owner of the Front Porch Market & Grill, right, is presented a “citizen of the year” award by Fauquier County Supervisor Holder Trumbo.

Waybourn, 76, is a fixture of The Plains as owner of The Front Porch Market & Grill. But he had a storied career in the gay rights movement long before he arrived in Fauquier County. Waybourn co-founded the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a political action committee dedicated to increasing the representation of LGBTQ+ public officials in elected office, and served as managing director of LGBTQ+ media monitoring group GLAAD. During the Dec. 14 board of supervisors’ meeting, Scott District Supervisor Holder Trumbo (I) ran through some of the nice things Waybourn has done closer to home, such as buying tires for employees who couldn’t get to work, paying an employee’s insurance bill and keeping a sick employee on his payroll for more than a year while they couldn’t work. See CITIZENS, page 2

Prince William board OKs Digital Gateway 37-data center development to be among the largest in the world By Peter Cary

Piedmont Journalism Foundation

and Jill Palermo

Fauquier Times Staff Writer

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved last week a controversial plan to open more than 1,700 acres next to the Manassas National Battlefield Park to a massive new data center corridor. The decision came after a contentious, all-night meeting at which more than 200 residents spoke both for and against what supporters called a “transformational” project. Three rezonings tied to the Prince William Digital Gateway survived intense fire from opponents and skeptical supervisors on myriad issues during an all-night public hearing that stretched from 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, to about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. Before the vote, both the county’s

PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD

Prince William County Supervisors Margaret Franklin, left, and Board Chair Ann Wheeler, right, were among four Democratic supervisors who voted in favor of the controversial Prince William Digital Gateway. professional planning staff and the planning commission recommended that supervisors deny the rezonings over a lack of information on several aspects of the projects. But the board ultimately voted 4-3-1 to approve all three applications, with the four Democratic supervisors — Board Chair Ann Wheeler (At Large), Victor Angry (Neabsco), Andrea Bailey (Potomac) and Margaret Franklin

Fauquier board OKs new policy aimed at curbing data centers

(Woodbridge) — voting in favor and the three Republicans —Supervisors Jeanine Lawson (Brentsville), Bob Weir (Gainesville) and Yesli Vega (Coles) — opposed. Supervisor Kenny Boddye, D-Occoquan, considered the swing vote on the rezonings, abstained in the final vote after first making a motion to deny the project, which failed in a tie 4-4 vote. Boddye then tried to split the project to exclude a land bay closest to the Manassas National Battlefield Park, but that was also unsuccessful. The vote was met with a subdued reaction from about three dozen supporters and opponents who remained in the board chambers until about 1:15 p.m. on Dec. 13 to watch the decision-making. Opponents said they would continue their fight in court. “My guess is there will be multiple lawsuits filed as soon as tomorrow because there will be multiple plaintiffs,” said Weir, whose

As neighboring Prince William County sets itself on a path to become the data center capital of the world, Fauquier County is taking steps toward controlling the spread of the facilities within its borders. The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors has adopted a set of guidelines for data center development designed to protect the county’s rural character, its citizens’ health and welfare, the value of its residential areas and farmland and the environment. While the new rules do not carry the force of law, the policy sets expectations for data center developers and may affect whether applications are approved. Prince William County is also working on measures to better guide data center applications,

See GATEWAY, page 6

See POLICY, page 18

By Peter Cary

Piedmont Journalism Foundation

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