Fairfax County has approved construction of a 70 ft data center in Chantilly, Virginia.

The land, located at Lee Jackson Memorial Highway and Stonecroft Boulevard, has been approved for the build of the data center.

The company behind the application is an affiliate of Penzance.

The board of supervisors first voted to approve the rezoning of the 12-acre parcel of land in January this year.

At the time, the data center was expected to span 402,000 sq ft (37,350 sqm).

It was initially expected to reach heights of 110 ft, making it the tallest data center in the county. But residents of the Meadows of Chantilly along Route 50 have long opposed the development.

“They would put the generator yard, which is about the size of a football field in length, the dumpsters, and the loading docks all behind these peoples’ homes,” said Cynthia Shang, a local resident and opponent of the build.

Shang had also set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for a lawsuit against the developers. This has since been closed.

News that Penzance was looking to develop in Chantilly first arose in October 2022, and in September 2023 the county planners recommended approval for the development.

Last month, Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously voted in favor of new rules for future data center developments, including that they must be 200 feet from residential properties. The board of supervisors is scheduled to vote on the proposed rules on July 16th.

Previously approved data centers will not be affected by the rules.