Audacious Nimby

Zoning isn't in the U.S. Constitution, and it isn't in Virginia’s Constitution. So how did local government gain the power to decide what you can build on your own land?

It comes from what is known as the police power, the authority states retain to protect public health, safety, and welfare. Local governments do not inherently possess that power. In Virginia, counties and towns exercise zoning authority because the Commonwealth grants it to them through state law.

The idea traces back to nuisance law: use your property in a way that does not harm your neighbor.

Modern zoning took shape in the early 1900s. New York City adopted one of the first major zoning codes in 1916, and in 1926 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld zoning in Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. From there, zoning spread across the country.

But zoning power has limits.

If government regulation goes too far, it can become a “taking” that may require compensation. Zoning also has a complicated history. At different times, it has been used to enforce segregation and to restrict housing opportunities for working and middle-class families.

That brings us to Prince William County today.

The real question is not simply whether development happens. It is who decides, and through what process.

When a project is allowed by right, elected officials may never vote on it. When a rezoning or other discretionary approval is required, there is a public process, community input, and ultimately a decision by elected officials.

That distinction can shape everything from roads and schools to power infrastructure, watersheds, open space, and the character of entire communities.

And right now, it matters. Data center applicants have until December 21 to qualify under the county’s transition rules tied to the previous by-right framework.

In this episode, I walk through zoning history, major court cases, property rights, and what it all means for your neighborhood.

Three questions for you:

How much power should local government have over what you can build on your own property?

What happens when that power is abused or taken out of the public process?

Most importantly, how do we use land-use policy to build a community people actually want to live in?

Tell me what you think in the comments.

Big decisions are shaping the future of Prince William County and Northern Virginia.

In this episode of The Audacious NIMBY, we discuss the latest developments surrounding data centers, electricity infrastructure, land use, and proposed housing projects—and what these decisions could mean for local communities.

🎙️ In This Episode:

• Data Centers & the 90-Day Rule: The county's 90-day provision, proposed regulations, and implications for future development.
• Virginia's Power Grid: Growing electricity demand, infrastructure challenges, and concerns about grid capacity.
• Vint Hill Substation: The proposed electrical substation, community opposition, and the Board of Supervisors' decision.
• Manassas Battlefield: A historical tourism proposal and alternative opportunities for local economic development.
• Camp Snyder & Housing Development: Potential land-use changes, residential proposals, and their possible impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

As Prince William County continues to grow, questions remain about how to balance development, infrastructure needs, historic preservation, and community interests.

What do you think? Which of these issues deserves the most attention? Share your perspective and join the conversation!

🎧 Listen to Episode 16 of The Audacious NIMBY for a closer look at the decisions shaping Northern Virginia.

🔔 Subscribe, follow, and share to stay informed.

#AudaciousNIMBY #PrinceWilliamCounty #DataCenters #NorthernVirginia #VirginiaNews #Manassas #Haymarket #CommunityDevelopment #LocalNews

In-Depth Understanding of Smart Growth with Ashley Studholme

On this episode of Audacious NIMBY, we sit down with Ashley Studholme, Executive Director of the Prince William Conservation Alliance.

Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Virginia and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon. Before joining the Prince William Conservation Alliance in 2020, she spent a decade in the Ecuadorian Andes leading water resource management projects and researching high-altitude tropical ecosystems. With training in both the natural and social sciences, Ashley brings a collaborative, interdisciplinary perspective to solving today’s complex environmental challenges.

Ashley joins us for an in-depth conversation about what smart growth really means and how it differs from the kind of development that leaves communities with more traffic, strained infrastructure, and diminished natural resources. We explore watershed protection, land conservation, responsible planning, and why preserving Prince William County’s natural assets is essential to its long-term prosperity.

Rather than framing growth and conservation as opposing forces, we discuss how they can work together to create a shared vision for Prince William County, one that balances economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, and a high quality of life.

If we want to leave the next generation a Prince William County that is even more beautiful, resilient, and livable than the one we inherited, it starts with conversations like this one.

We all remember the moment the Death Star exploded. Everyone celebrated. The good guys had won.

But the evil empire was not finished.

Prince William County came so close to finally getting on the right track. People in Loudoun actually called me and asked, “Is Prince William County, the poster child for corruption and disastrous development decisions, really going to stop both data center sprawl and housing sprawl in the same month?”

We were so close.

Then two supervisors stepped in and ushered in what I call the Age of Assemblages.

Two developers donated more than $320,000 to two candidates, one Republican and one Democrat—an unholy alliance.

One of our supposed stalwarts for protecting the Rural Crescent suddenly shifted and declared that she had “never worked harder” on a project than she did to place 2,700 homes on Featherbed Lane. Then came the audacity to call bulldozing 12 homes and replacing them with 2,700 homes “redevelopment” and “reinvestment.”

This episode of Audacious NIMBY uncovers how the empire struck back, how Prince William County snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and why we apparently cannot have nice things.

On a side note, I love my life. I am of sound mind. My brake lines are in excellent condition.

Enjoy this shocking new episode: The Empire Strikes Back.

Dominion Energy came before the Prince William Board of County Supervisors with a warning: approve this substation or expect unpredictable blackouts. Read that again. The utility that serves one of the largest data center markets on Earth just admitted the grid cannot keep up with what PWC has already approved.

So what is the Board doing about it? On Tuesday, July 7th, they take up a new Comprehensive Plan Amendment for a data center project that doubles the Digital Gateway. Combined with what is already in the pipeline, that puts an additional 44 million square feet of data centers on a grid Dominion says is failing today.

In this episode of Audacious Nimby, we break down:

What Dominion actually told the Board about blackouts and brownouts, and why it matters for every ratepayer in Northern Virginia

The Vint Hill substation fight and the 5-2 deferral

Tuesday's hearing on the Dulles South project, nearly 1,930 acres, is almost triple the county's entire existing data center footprint

Who pays for the grid buildout (hint: it is not the data centers)

What you can do before Tuesday's hearing

If you live in Prince William County, Loudoun, Fauquier, or anywhere on the Dominion grid, this affects your power bill and your reliability. Watch, share, and show up July 7th.

Subscribe to Audacious Nimby for land use, data centers, and rural preservation coverage in Northern Virginia.

#princewilliamcounty #datacenters #blackout #boardofsupervisors

THIS IS THE FIGHT. The next 60 days will determine what Prince William County looks like for generations. Two massive development threats are coming before the Board of Supervisors — and if we lose either one, there's no going back.

🏭 JUNE — Another massive data center is maybe heading to the Board of Supervisors. More industrialization. More strain on our community. Same story, different day.

🌿 JULY — The Catharpin Valley hearing. Developers want to bulldoze one of the last rural stretches in the county and pack in 1,200 to 2,700 dwellings on a small country road with ZERO infrastructure in place. If this passes, it sets a precedent that never gets undone. Pandora's Box opens — and it never closes.

We need to show up. Pack the Board of Supervisors meetings. Submit public comments. Bring your neighbors. Get media's attention. This is what we've been fighting for.

📢 SHARE this video with everyone who cares about Prince William County.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to Audacious Nimby for ongoing coverage of development fights across our community.

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments — are you showing up to fight?

#princewilliamcounty #NIMBY #audaciousnimby #CatharpinValley #datacenters #SaveOurCommunity #LocalGovernment #LandUse #urbansprawl #Virginia #BoardOfSupervisors #StopOverdevelopment #CommunityFight #VALocal #northernvirginiahomes #CatharpinValley, #princewilliamcountyva #princewilliamcounty #nimby , #NOTE #northernvirginiarealestate #sprawl

Prince William County sits at the center of the largest data center expansion in the world — but behind the promises of economic growth lies a story few people have heard.

After residents in the Greater Oak community reported relentless noise inside their homes, the county launched what may be the most comprehensive data center noise study ever conducted.

Over two years.

More than $1 million spent.

Two of the nation’s leading acoustical experts brought in to investigate.

The results were shocking.

But what happened after the findings were released raises even bigger questions about government accountability, industry influence, and the growing backlash against hyperscale data centers across America.

In this episode of Audacious NIMBY, we break down:

• The real impacts of data center noise on nearby communities

• What the experts discovered

• How county officials and industry leaders responded

• Why residents say they’ve been ignored

• And why communities nationwide are beginning to fight back

This isn’t just a story about noise.

It’s a story about power, corruption, politics, and who pays the price for the digital economy.

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/a-straight-middle-finger-prince-william-data-center-advisory-group-sounds-off-over-noise-ordinance/article_ffadc0a1-9183-4391-8fe6-c7e5aab018cd.html

#DataCenters #PrinceWilliamCounty #NIMBY #NorthernVirginia #DataCenter #CommunityImpact #Technology #Infrastructure #NoisePollution

What does it actually look like to build a community the right way?

In this episode of Audacious NIMBY, we dive into the legacy of Mayor Joe Riley of Charleston, South Carolina, and explore how one city chose a different path. While much of America chased sprawl and short-term growth, Charleston focused on something deeper. Beauty. Walkability. Strong neighborhoods. A real sense of place.

We unpack the principles behind Charleston’s transformation and what other cities can learn today. From tackling affordable housing to investing in parks, reviving Main Street, and pushing back against endless suburban expansion, this conversation goes beyond theory and into real-world impact.

We also take on big questions.

Can you grow without losing your identity?

Is sprawl inevitable or a choice?

Do we want or need data centers?

What role do art and design play in everyday life?

And what happens when communities take control of their future instead of letting it drift?

This is not just a story about Charleston. It is a blueprint for anyone who cares about building places worth living in.

Join us for a thoughtful and ambitious conversation about how cities can be better.

What happens when ordinary people take on one of the most powerful industries in the world… and win?

This is the untold story of the Digital Gateway in Prince William County—a project that would have become the largest data center complex on the planet. Backed by massive money, powerful interests, and behind-the-scenes deals, it seemed unstoppable.

Until the community fought back.

In this podcast, we break down how it all began, how it gained momentum, and how a group of determined residents organized, exposed what was really happening, and challenged a system stacked against them.

We’ll dive into:

Allegations of corruption and backroom influence

The role of money and power in shaping local decisions

The strategies that turned the tide

And how a modern-day David stood up to Goliath—and prevailed

This isn’t just a local story. It’s a blueprint for what happens when people refuse to be ignored.

#GoliathHasFallen

A new mega AI data center, “Cosmos”, has just been filed in Catharpin, Virginia, and it’s unlike anything the region has seen. Think gas turbines, sprawling power lines, and diesel generators—all proposed next to homes and a national park.

In Episode 8 of Audacious NIMBY, we dive into what may become the defining land use battle of the year.

This episode covers the major coalition event hosted by Audacious NIMBY, alongside the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, PWCA, and CABSA, as well as the swearing-in ceremony of Supervisor Lacroix in the Woodbridge District—a moment signaling that political winds are shifting.

🔥 Prince William County is now ground zero for data center sprawl.

⚡ Communities are organizing—and pushing back.

🏛️ New leadership may change everything.

Is “Cosmos” the future of AI infrastructure… or the tipping point for a community fight?