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MEET THE

CATLETT PROJECT

The Catlett Project possesses key factors that make it a responsible location for data center development.

ABOUT THE CATLETT PROJECT

The Catlett Project has proposed to downzone the 68-acre site at the northern end of the Catlett Service District from its existing Industrial Park (I-1) classification to Business Park (BP) in order to unlock the highest and best use for the property as a data center development.

The Catlett Project team will set the parameters for data center development. As part of the rezoning process, the Proffers and Concept Development Plan will outline strict conditions for which the future end users will adhere, including building height, underground electrical infrastructure, visual buffering, noise studies, and a closed-loop cooling system without the need for public potable water or groundwater.

As a liaison between the local community, county staff, and data center industry, the Catlett Project team strives for collaboration, and we have already updated and enhanced our rezoning application three times based on the County staff and community feedback received to-date.

The Catlett Project team aims to bring value to Fauquier County through positive economic development and responsible site development.

Jobs Icon

The project will create

150-250
CONSTRUCTION JOBS

and

20-30
FULL-TIME JOBS

per building.

Revenue Icon

The project will generate

$4.5 MILLION
PER YEAR

in tax revenue, with little impact on public services.

WHY CATLETT?

The proposed Catlett Project site was originally identified due to its I-1 zoning, location in Catlett’s Service District, and proximity to existing high voltage power lines. A data center development at this site aligns with the Fauquier County Comprehensive Plan’s goal of promoting economic development while preserving the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens through clean industrial development.

By utilizing land that is not currently being leveraged for its planned role in Fauquier County’s Comprehensive Plan, the community can benefit from the increased economic activity and employment opportunities, while minimizing negative impacts. Developing the site for a data center eliminates the risk of other potentially disruptive uses that are allowed under the I-1 code, such as distribution centers that would generate noise and traffic complaints, or cold storage that could require a new overhead powerline.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Our team values responsibility and collaboration with each community in which we work. We have been working hard to mitigate concerns and strive to unlock the long-lasting benefits a data center project can bring to Fauquier County, including high-paying jobs, tremendous tax revenue, and strong community engagement programs.

With appropriate planning and decision-making, Fauquier County can allow a limited number of data center campuses in responsible locations, without being overrun by the data center industry and the infrastructure that comes with it. As such, the Catlett Project is a good site located on Industrially zoned land within a Service District.

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Headwaters is a liaison between communities and the data center industry.

ABOUT HEADWATERS

Headwaters Site Development identifies and advances data center sites by conducting robust due diligence and development work, bringing shovel-ready sites to fruition for our landowner partners and data center customers. Headwaters’ primary objective is open and collaborative development with government officials, county staff, and local stakeholders to ensure that sites like the Catlett Project are developed responsibly and in conjunction with area planning processes and comprehensive plans.

MEET THE TEAM

Mike Lebow Headshot

MIKE LEBOW

Co-Founder &
Partner

Mike is Co-founder and Partner at Headwaters Site Development. Mike began building his site development competencies in the renewable energy sector, leading the identification and development of ten commercial wind energy facilities totaling almost 2 GW. He parlayed those skills into his next job at Google, where he worked for nearly eight years on the Energy and Location Strategy team, helping to scale the company’s global data center infrastructure efficiently and sustainably.

Learn More
Bradley Wells Headshot

BRADLEY WELLS

Site Selection &
Development Manager

As Site Selection and Development Manager, Bradley brings over a decade of broad experience in project management, design, and engineering honed in non-profit, corporate, industrial, and data center industries both domestically and internationally. At Headwaters, Bradley manages the exploration, due diligence, negotiation, and development process, building collaborative relationships with local and national resources to drive shared value for data center owners, landowners, utilities, and communities.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Throughout our meetings with community groups, Fauquier County Community Development staff, and local stakeholders, the Catlett Project has received a myriad of legitimate questions. This section aims to address some of the most frequently asked questions about the Catlett Project.

FAQs

Data centers are buildings where technology companies store and process data in a highly secure, efficient, and reliable environment. Data centers are the driving force behind the daily information that flows through our smart phones and computers – they allow us to store photos online safely, access our email from anywhere with a cell signal, and keep in touch with friends, family, and community organizations on social media.
The Catlett Project team is committed to working with Dominion Energy to design and fund an underground powerline solution and are committing to this within our rezoning application. We’re actively collaborating with the county to ensure a transparent public approval process as we progress with our application.
If the power to the site were to be transmitted via an overhead transmission line, it would likely travel down the railroad or Dumfries Road. The overhead transmission line would be 2.5 miles long, only 1.5 miles of which will be in Fauquier County. This route will allow for minimal impacts on residential properties and will run alongside the railroad tracks in lower lying areas.
The Catlett Project team is committing within our rezoning application to work with Dominion Energy in the design and funding of an underground powerline solution. While burying a transmission line can incur significant costs for ratepayers, we understand the importance of considering community preferences, and adhering to the county zoning ordinance. It’s worth noting that implementing underground power lines for a project of this magnitude would involve technically complex and expensive high voltage lines, as well as multiple medium voltage cables, which may occupy a considerable right of way and disturb more land than overhead lines of similar power capacity.
Visual landscape screening, buffering, architectural guidelines and setback conditions are being voluntarily proposed by the project team which exceed the requirements of the zoning ordinance in order to minimize visual impacts from local roadways and the surrounding community while maintaining the rural character of the Catlett community.
The Fauquier County Water and Sanitation Authority has confirmed they can accommodate the water necessary for the office component of the buildings and fire protection, such as restrooms and breakroom sinks The data centers themselves will be cooled through a closed-loop system, with public water or groundwater not being used for this system, as required by the county zoning ordinance and also voluntarily restricted in the project’s proffers.
Noise and sound quality at data centers is easily modeled, measured, and controlled at the equipment and site level. The Catlett Project team will engage in noise studies to validate the existing baseline ambient sound profile of the site, and will leverage this information during site plan review to confirm and optimize its sound profile in compliance with county regulations and community preferences. Further, the project has strategically located buildings and buffering as part of its proposal to minimize noise impacts.
Headwaters is dedicated to fostering collaboration to ensure an ideal alignment between end users and the proposed site, resulting in reduced risks for end users and enhanced certainty for the community. Our development process is designed to attract exceptional data center operators, renowned for their industry expertise. We meticulously research and evaluate each potential end user we engage with, employing a thorough due diligence process to guarantee that we connect with only the highest quality buyers for each property we offer.
Employment is subject to change depending on the data center end user. During the construction phase, the Project will provide 150-250 construction jobs. When the site is operational, typically data centers of this size employ 20-30 full-time employees per building. Data center end users offer high paying jobs with quality benefits to highly trained and skilled individuals.
Data centers generate large amounts of tax revenue with minimal impact on public services from the county. Unlike other development projects, data centers do not impact local schools and roads. Using industry averages, a 30 MW building such as the proposed Catlett Project would generate $4.5M per year. The Catlett Project has capacity to handle 200 MW, which means the end user could generate $30M per year at full-build out.
In contrast to other by-right developments that could occur on the site, data centers exert a lesser strain on road infrastructure. The roads will not experience an influx of heavy-duty vehicles or a significant increase in traffic volume. The Catlett Project team is committed to collaborating with Fauquier County staff to propose road enhancements that prevent disruptions and prioritize safety. Our current plan entails locating the primary site entrance on Gaskins Lane, and developing a southbound left turn lane for the Gaskins/Route 28 intersection, minimizing traffic interference to Route 28.
The Catlett Project team has been working collaboratively with county staff to ensure that such a scenario is addressed and is committing through our proffers that the ultimate end user will be a local tax-paying entity or an entity willing to enter into a PILOT program equal to its otherwise annual tax liability to Fauquier County.
The Catlett Project has conducted several surveys to accurately delineate the environmentally sensitive areas of the site, including wetlands and streams. The team has developed a series of potential building configurations that minimize intrusions on these features and allow for the natural flow of stormwater through the site while contributing to the greenspace of the campus. Further, no floodplain impacts are proposed, and the largest contiguous areas of wetlands at the back of the site are being maintained. For mitigation that must be conducted to optimize the site for this end use, the project will adhere to the federal and state governments already robust process and permitting concerning environmental features.

PLANS

Regional Overview

Regional Overview - Project Location County Map
Regional Overview - Project Location Catlett Map

Power Overview

Power Overview - County Map
Power Overview - City Map

Potential Development Plan

Potential Development Plan - Project Footprint
Potential Development Plan - Detailed Plans

Developing the site for a data center eliminates the risk of other potentially disruptive uses that are allowed by code under the current Industrial Zoning, such as distribution centers that generate noise and traffic complaints.

Fauquier County Land Development

CONTACT

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