Overview
- The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted to defer the Potomac Creek Campus project on Tuesday by a 4–3 margin while the site is investigated for gravesites believed to date to the early 1800s.
- In a separate 5–2 vote the board granted the developer a six‑week to two‑month extension to complete cemetery and cultural‑resource studies under terms set by the county.
- The developer must hire an archaeological consultant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ pre‑qualified list to carry out archaeological and genealogical work and submit a final report directly to the board.
- Board members and residents gave emotional testimony about family graves on the property, with Chairman Deuntay Diggs saying his mother is in an unmarked grave and urging protection of burial sites.
- The pause follows other local conflicts over rapid data‑center growth in Northern Virginia and could affect approvals, project design or preservation measures depending on findings about the cemetery’s size and number of graves.