GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va.— Hundreds of residents from Goochland and neighboring Henrico County gathered Tuesday evening at Goochland High School to voice concerns about the growing possibility of large-scale data center development near the two counties’ border.

The packed meeting reflected mounting opposition to several proposed projects, particularly a potential Google data center campus that could bring significant changes to the West Creek area.

Nearly 30 residents addressed county leaders during public comment, raising questions about the projects’ environmental impact, public health implications, infrastructure demands and the community’s ability to influence development decisions.

“Put a stop to this immediately,” one resident urged officials, warning that the projects could put the safety and livelihoods of local families at risk.

Much of the discussion centered on Google’s interest in approximately 1,000 acres at West Creek Business Park, where the technology company is considering building a data center campus with a capacity of up to 1,200 megawatts.

The proposal remains in its early stages. Google is conducting due diligence on the property but has not committed to purchasing the land or submitted a site plan to Goochland County.

The property sits north of Patterson Avenue, near Route 288, within Goochland’s recently approved Technology Overlay District. That designation has become a major point of contention because qualifying data center developments in the district can move forward by right, without requiring a separate public hearing and discretionary county approval for each project.

For residents concerned about the pace of development, that provision raises questions about how much influence the public will have over projects that could reshape their communities.

The potential Google campus is also part of a broader wave of proposed data center development in eastern Goochland.

A separate 900-megawatt project near Henrico County’s Tuckahoe area is already moving through Goochland’s public approval process. Three other proposed developments, including the potential Google project, could collectively add roughly 2,000 megawatts of data center capacity in the area. Those additional sites are also within the Technology Overlay District.

During Tuesday’s meeting, residents called for greater transparency and more detailed assessments before developers are allowed to advance their proposals.

Some asked county officials to require comprehensive health and environmental impact assessments, air quality studies, decommissioning plans and ongoing monitoring requirements.

Others warned that once projects progress through the development process, residents may have fewer opportunities to raise concerns or influence decisions.

“We’re asking you to make sure progress doesn’t come at the expense of the people who call Goochland home,” another speaker told county leaders.

The concerns extend beyond Goochland. Residents from neighboring Henrico County have also joined the opposition, pointing to the potential impact on nearby neighborhoods, schools and families.

Opponents say more than 28,000 Henrico residents and 10 schools are located within 2.5 miles of the potential Google site.

Google’s interest in the West Creek property became public after Goochland County disclosed that the company was evaluating the site. County officials said discussions began in early 2024, when the Virginia Economic Development Partnership approached the county about presenting potential properties to a data center operator.

A July 14 filing with the State Corporation Commission also referenced a proposed 1,200-megawatt data center campus in eastern Goochland, although the company was not identified at the time. Google subsequently confirmed its interest in the West Creek property.

For now, the proposed Google development remains under consideration, with no land purchase or formal site plan submitted.

But Tuesday’s turnout made clear that residents want more information, stronger safeguards and a meaningful voice in decisions that could have lasting consequences for Goochland and neighboring Henrico communities.