A board representing six localities in the Roanoke Valley voted Friday to enter into a purchase agreement with a company for land at Wood Haven Technology Park, which opponents say is an attempt to locate a data center there.
The board of the Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority entered into a deal with Clearview Dynamics. In a statement, the authority declined to confirm the property’s prospective use. A couple dozen opponents packed the meeting room, and they’re convinced it’s a data center.
“You guys already know all the issues out there. The water issues, the electrical issues, the fact this is going by a residential community," said Julie Bivins, who is part of the Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance. "The fact that you have all of the details, and you’re voting, right after this, to approve this thing, and none of us have any of that information, is just really maddening.”
After a closed session, the authority board reconvened to approve the purchase agreement. However, the details are murky, frustrating people who came to watch. Including Roanoke Vice Mayor Terry McGuire, who quizzed the authority’s legal counsel, Bryce Hunter, about what just happened.
“What can you tell people who are concerned about what you all just did?" McGuire asked. "You all work for us. That’s all there is to that. So, what can you tell us about what you just voted on? This does not tell us anything.”
McGuire and fellow Roanoke council member Phazhon Nash issued a statement after the meeting saying they oppose data center construction in the region. The authority’s statement says the purchase agreement, quote, “represents an initial step in a lengthier inspection and due diligence process and does not constitute a completed sale.”
