WASHINGTON — A judge ruled that the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors was within their right to rezone a once residential area for a data center.

In 2024, residents filed a lawsuit challenging the Board's 2023 approval of a new data center. Stanley Martin Homes owns 270 acres in the county, originally zoned for agriculture, then rezoned for residential use. Stanley applied to rezone the land to allow data centers.

The Board held a public hearing on Sept. 13, 2022 , and another hearing on Feb. 7, 2023, over the proposal. The second hearing lasted more than nine hours, with 88 residents in attendance opposing the rezoning, citing concerns about noise, environmental impact, and other downsides.

During a third public hearing on Nov. 28, 2023, Stanley amended the proposal to

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