FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT ACCOKEEK CENTER
Accokeek Center is a proposed data center campus in Stafford County. The project is poised to bring significant new investment and tax revenue to the county while supporting local jobs and contributing directly to community priorities.
The project has evolved throughout Stafford County’s review process in response to feedback from county staff, technical experts, neighbors, and other community members.
Data centers provide the physical infrastructure that supports the digital services people and businesses rely on every day, including cloud computing, online banking, streaming, healthcare systems, artificial intelligence and other digital applications.
Inside a data center, servers securely store, process, and transmit digital information. The facilities operate around the clock and are supported by electrical, cooling, security, and backup systems designed to maintain reliable operations.
The Accokeek Center site is located within Stafford County’s Central Stafford Targeted Development Area, where the county has planned for employment-generating commercial and industrial development.
The location also provides access to the infrastructure necessary to support a data center while allowing the project to incorporate significant setbacks, landscaping, and other measures intended to reduce impacts on neighboring properties.
Throughout the review process, the project team has worked with county staff, technical experts, and neighboring residents to identify concerns and strengthen the proposal.
Changes to the project include:
- Reducing the campus from three proposed data center buildings to two
- Reducing the overall proposed building area by approximately 100,000 square feet
- Increasing protections and separation from nearby residences
- Providing substantial landscaping and vegetative buffering
- Making additional commitments related to noise, water use and community investment
The project team will continue working with Stafford County and nearby residents as the review process moves forward.
BENEFITS TO STAFFORD COUNTY
Accokeek Center will add a major new commercial taxpayer to Stafford County, generating an estimated $13.5 million in annual tax revenue once fully operational.
That revenue can give Stafford County additional resources to support priorities such as schools, fire and rescue, libraries, transportation and other public services.
The project will also provide $6.4 million in direct contributions toward county priorities, separate from its ongoing annual tax payments.
Stafford is a growing county, and growth creates continued demand for schools, public safety, transportation, libraries, and other services residents rely on.
Residential property currently makes up a significant majority of Stafford County’s tax base. Adding major commercial investments like Accokeek Center helps diversify that tax base and provides an additional source of revenue to help the county meet current and future needs.
Accokeek Center does not include residential development and will not add new households or students to Stafford County.
Like other commercial developments, the project will rely on some county infrastructure and services. However, it does not create the same population-driven demand for schools and other services associated with new residential growth.
At the same time, Accokeek Center is expected to generate approximately $13.5 million in annual tax revenue once fully operational, providing Stafford County with significant new resources to support public services and infrastructure.
Tax revenue generated by Accokeek Center will become part of Stafford County’s broader revenue base. County elected officials determine how those funds are allocated through the county’s annual budgeting process.
Additional commercial revenue can provide Stafford County with more resources to address priorities such as schools, public safety, transportation, libraries, parks and other community services.
Accokeek Center is expected to generate approximately $13.5 million in annual tax revenue for Stafford County once the project is fully operational.
This ongoing revenue is separate from the project’s $6.4 million in direct contributions to county priorities.
In addition to the annual tax revenue generated by the project, Accokeek Center has committed $6.4 million toward priorities identified by Stafford County.
Those commitments support areas including:
- Stafford County courthouse improvements
- County technology infrastructure
- The Belmont–Ferry Farm Trail
- Fire and rescue/public safety needs
- Library services and improvements
These contributions are separate from the project’s ongoing property tax payments and are intended to provide additional, direct benefits to Stafford County.
Yes. Accokeek Center will support jobs during both construction and long-term operations.
Construction of a project of this scale requires workers across numerous trades and specialties.
Once operational, the campus will support permanent positions as well as additional work through contractors, vendors, security, maintenance, and other service providers.
COMMUNITY & NEIGHBOR IMPACTS
Accokeek Center has been designed with significant separation, landscaping, and other protections intended to reduce impacts on neighboring properties.
The project incorporates setbacks between data center buildings and existing residences, substantial vegetative buffering and landscaping, noise standards, and other design measures developed through Stafford County’s review process.
The project team has also made changes to the campus in response to feedback from neighboring residents and county officials.
The nearest proposed data center building will be at least 660 feet from the closest existing residence.
The project also includes substantial setbacks, landscaping, and vegetative buffering to further reduce visual and operational impacts on neighboring properties.
Accokeek Center is designed to comply with applicable Stafford County noise requirements.
The project incorporates building setbacks, equipment placement, landscaping, and other design measures intended to limit noise experienced at neighboring properties. Technical noise studies have also been conducted as part of the county review process.
Accokeek Center will include extensive landscaping and vegetative screening designed to reduce views of project facilities from surrounding properties and roadways.
The project includes a substantial vegetative buffer adjacent to residential areas, along with setbacks that provide additional separation between data center buildings and nearby homes.
Accokeek Center does not include housing or other residential development and therefore will not directly add new households or students to Stafford County.
Data centers also typically generate considerably less daily traffic than many other large commercial or industrial uses. Traffic is expected to be greatest during construction and substantially lower once the campus is operating.
ENVIRONMENT, WATER, & INFRASTRUCTURE
No potable water will be used for industrial cooling at Accokeek Center.
The project has been designed to provide the cooling necessary for safe and reliable data center operations without using Stafford County’s drinking-water system.
The project must comply with applicable local, state and federal requirements governing stormwater management, erosion and sediment control and protection of waterways.
The project design includes stormwater infrastructure and other measures intended to manage runoff and protect surrounding environmental resources during both construction and operation.
Backup generators are a standard component of data centers and are intended for emergency use when normal electrical service is interrupted, as well as limited testing and maintenance.
Accokeek Center is committed to using generators that meet Tier 4 or greater EPA emissions standards. Tier 4 is the EPA’s strictest “clean air” rulebook for diesel generators.
The project will not impact or disturb Accokeek Creek; there is a significant buffer between the developable portion of the site and the creek.
Undisturbed buffers between the Accokeek Creek and the developable portion of the site range from a minimum of 290’ to over 1,000’. Additionally, the project is maintaining a 100’ Resource Protection Area (RPA) buffer, meaning no land disturbance will take place within 100’ of designated environmental resource areas.
Stafford County’s stormwater management program is a state-mandated Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management (VESMP) program which requires that post-development runoff not exceed pre-development conditions — this applies to both water quantity and water quality.
Accokeek Center will connect to the regional electrical grid through infrastructure designed to serve the project.
The project team is coordinating with the appropriate utility and regulatory entities regarding the electrical infrastructure necessary to support the campus.
PROJECT REVIEW & WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Following the Planning Commission’s recommendation, Accokeek Center will move forward to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors for consideration. The Accokeek Center team will continue providing information and working with county officials, neighbors and other stakeholders as that process continues.
Updates about Accokeek Center, including major milestones in the county review process, will be posted in the Project News & Updates section of AccokeekCenter.com.
Residents can also use the website to learn more about the project, review frequently asked questions, and contact the project team directly.