State agency approves transmission line in Bren Mar Park
The State Corporation Commission has approved Dominion Energy’s request for an overhead transmission line to serve a proposed substation for a data center planned on Edsall Road adjacent to several residential communities.
The transmission line would be nearly one mile long, connecting the proposed 5-acre Edsall Substation to the Van Dorn Substation.
The transmission line is not a done deal, however, as the substation must be approved by the Fairfax County Planning Commission before it can be built.
Representatives of the HOAs near the proposed transmission line had urged the SCC to reject it, arguing that it would be too close to people’s homes. They charged that Dominion failed to adequately consider feasible alternatives.
“The communities are pretty upset with the decision. It was a limited decision with respect to state law,” said Tyler Ray, president of the Bren Pointe HOA. Ray is one of the neighborhood leaders who have been opposing the data center at the Plaza 500 industrial park on Edsall Road since it was first proposed, as well as the substation and transmission lines.
Related story: Residents concerned about Dominion’s substation project
According to Ray, the SCC only looked at two state statutes when they conducted their analysis of the transmission line. They didn’t consider local ordinances or the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan, which sets guidelines for land use.
Also, he noted, the SCC’s determination that co-locating the transmission line at the Van Dorn substation is not feasible was based on the cost to Dominion, not on the impact to the neighborhood.
Tyler said he was not surprised that the SCC approved Dominion’s application and that “Dominion used wishy-washy facts to their benefit.”
“What was surprising was that the SCC basically said that under state law, there is no such thing as too close to residences,” he said.
The next step in the process calls for the Planning Commission to review the substation as part of the 2232 process for public facilities. Dominion’s 2232 application for the substation was accepted by the Fairfax County Planning and Development Department on Aug. 1.
Staff will review the proposal and submit a recommendation to the Planning Commission, which would hold a public hearing and make a final decision. Applications submitted for 2232 review do not need to be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Tyler expects the staff review will take about 12 to 18 months. If the substation isn’t approved, the data center can’t go forward.
The Bren Pointe HOA and other communities that are part of the Save Bren Mar Park coalition are working on documenting why the substation and transmission line do not meet the standard of the Comprehensive Plan. They will urge the Planning Commission to reject Dominion’s application.
“The community will continue to work with and educate county staff and the Planning Commission on this,” Ray said. “We’re going to keep fighting this.”
Related story: Bren Mar Park residents urge the BoS to act against a by-right data center