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By-Right Data Centers May Be Over | Six PWCS Seniors Make National Merit | County Speeds Up Site Plan Approvals

23 Sep

Issue #26-266

In this Go Prince William County, Va Issue…

Two festivals, one weekend. 🍂

In this Go Prince William County, Va Issue… the Planning Commission wants by-right data centers gone, six PWCS seniors made National Merit, and the county has opened a fast lane for site plans. Downstairs: the Fall Arts & Crafts Show takes over Historic Occoquan both days, the Latino Festival and a Thai street food festival split the weekend in Manassas, Dumfries throws its Fall Festival, Oktoberfest turns up at four different breweries, and 40-plus nightlife listings.

— Bryan

AI for Business - Woodbridge monthly meetup - Wednesday October 7, 5:30-7:00 PM at Brickyard, free - Save your seat

Next up in Woodbridge: Wednesday, October 7. A free monthly meetup for non-technical business owners who want to actually use AI, not just hear about it. This month: Claude Cowork inside your small business. Brickyard, 5:30–7:00 PM. Save your seat.

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Quick Bites

  • By-Right Data Centers May Be Over

    The Planning Commission voted Sept. 10 to recommend ending by-right data center development countywide and shrinking the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, which has been in place since May 2016. Under the amendment, future data center projects would need a special use permit and come before the Board of County Supervisors for final consideration. After two 4-4 deadlocks, commissioners landed 5-3 on a compromise: a 120-day grace period plus a 500-foot buffer from homes and schools. The Board of County Supervisors held its public hearing on the proposal Sept. 22. (InsideNoVa)

  • Six PWCS Seniors Make National Merit

    Six Prince William County students are semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program: Sajeela Ahmad, William Hamilton and Samuel Zhang of Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School; Abigail Chang of Gainesville High School; Devin Wanchoo of Osbourn Park; and Sophia Ramirez Jam of Woodbridge. Three more students who came up through PWCS and now attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology also qualified — Jacob Percy out of Bull Run Middle, and Alexis Lwin and Jonathan Yang out of Ronald Reagan Middle. More than 16,000 seniors nationwide were named semifinalists in the program’s 72nd year. (PWCS)

  • County Speeds Up Site Plan Approvals

    The county’s Land Development Division has added a Conditional Plan Approval option that hands developers a stamped final plan and an approval letter before the County Attorney has finished reviewing the legal documents. The target is seven business days from upload to the ePortal. It took effect Sept. 2. “Our goal is to eliminate downtime,” acting director Ricky O’Connor said — the idea being that permitting, inspections and state paperwork can move in parallel with the legal finalization instead of waiting behind it. (PWC)

Upcoming Local Events

Weather

Friday

68 🌡️ 52 | ☀️ | 0% | 💨 N 8-14 mph

Saturday

71 🌡️ 54 | ☀️ | 10% | 💨 NNW 10-16 mph

Sunday

71 🌡️ 54 | ☀️ | 14% | 💨 NW 6-15 mph

Nightlife, Libations & Live Music

09/25/26 - Friday

09/26/26 - Saturday

09/27/26 - Sunday