Gentle Readers,

The American Battlefield Trust has joined the battle in which I enlisted several years ago to attempt to preserve some of the landscapes that framed the struggles of our Revolution and Civil War. We were successful in purchasing a McMansion sited on the top of the hill in the center of the Battle of Brandy Station, cockpit of the largest cavalry battle in North American history. Refuge Farm is near another important center of that battle, Hansbrough Ridge, where a couple four-story data centers have been proposed for construction just across the road from the conflict that enabled Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia to march north to Gettysburg.

The next act in this campaign is to urge our Board of Supervisors to reject the re-zoning of this historic property from “agricultural” stability to “Light industrial,” which would enable Amazon to not only build the electrical and water-gulping facilities but carpet the property with black glass solar farms imported from China. The Trust can use your support as they conduct the good preservation effort across the country. In this case, the Trust is fighting for all of us here in the historic Virginia Piedmont.

– Vic

From: David N. Duncan, American Battlefield Trust <info@battlefields.org>

Sent: Wed, Mar 30, 2022 6:02 pm
Subject: YOU are needed for Public Hearing about Culpeper’s Historic Hansbrough Ridge on April 5!

American Battlefield Trust
PROTECT CULPEPER’S HISTORIC TREASURES
Speak Out at the Board of Supervisors Public Hearing on April 5th
Dear Captain Reddig,

As guardian of America’s hallowed battlegrounds, the American Battlefield Trust is confronted with many challenges. The most recent major threat being a rapid rise of data centers in Virginia. Needing large swaths of land, these technological power houses serve a necessary purpose in today’s digital world, but they consume agricultural land – including historically sensitive landscapes – at an alarming rate.

Culpeper County is the latest target of these behemoths. Adjacent to historic Hansbrough Ridge — a Virginia State Landmark that played an important role in the June 9, 1863, Battle of Brandy Station — the 243-acre Magnolia Equestrian Center horse farm represents the pristine Culpeper countryside that visitors and residents both cherish. It is this property that Marvell Developments LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon Data Services, Inc., has applied to have rezoned from agricultural to light industrial — an action that would inevitably transform this tranquil, historic landscape into a sea of data centers, warehouses, and other commercial development.

Just imagine… driving through the scenic landscape, with its rolling hills and lush greenery, only to land your eyes upon a massive, modern structure… diminishing the historic, charming character that so defines Culpeper and attracts heritage tourists each year. The county’s Comprehensive Plan agrees, emphasizing that this area remain in agricultural use. However, to save a few dollars, Amazon is targeting this area instead of seeking property in designated technology zones with the necessary infrastructure for data centers.

Culpeper’s Planning Commission voted 5-4 on March 9 to recommend the application’s denial, but the Board of Supervisors could still decide to approve this rezoning application. That’s where you come in!

We ask that you attend the public hearing on Tuesday, April 5 – and plan to speak directly to the supervisors before they cast their votes for rezoning, emphasizing that this land is simply not suitable for Amazon’s data center vision. Beginning at 7:00 p.m., the meeting will be held at the County Administration Building at 302 N. Main Street, Culpeper, VA 22701.

Please plan on joining us for the hearing on April 5. We need YOU to help us fight this battle!

Sincerely,
David Signature
David N. Duncan
American Battlefield Trust

For more information, please contact Max Hokit at the American Battlefield Trust at mhokit@battlefields.org.

P.S. You will not only be joining the Trust in urging the county to seek another location for the Amazon data center, but eight other regional and national organizations, including: Brandy Station Foundation, Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield, the Germanna Foundation, Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Piedmont Environmental Council, Preservation Virginia, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Southern Environmental Law Center.

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