Data center locations may focus on southern James City County

Good morning! James City County tightens data center controls, Grove may end up as focus. Williamsburg police say thousands of men may have been filmed in restrooms.

Sep 10, 2025

James City County approved a policy to limit data centers to a specific zoning area that could focus them on the site of the old BASF factory site in the Grove Community.

Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a definition of data centers and restricting them to M-2 general industrial zoning areas with a special use permit. County staff said that definition would restrict most of the potential sites to the southern end of the county.

Stonehouse Supervisor Barbara Null voted against the change.

The change would still require a special use permit to set up a data center in an M-2 district. Data centers have generated controversy in other Virginia localities because of the noise, water and electrical consumption they generate.

Supervisor John McGlennon, whose district includes Grove, raised the concern that the area would be the sole site considered for data centers.

“Because I represent the southern end of the county , my ears went up,” when the planning commission said Grove would be the most likely site for data centers, he said. McGlennon said Grove has established neighborhoods that need to be protected from the noise and visual impact of data centers.

But local businessman Chris Henderson, who said he has represented BASF for 25 years in its quest to offload its closed industrial site, said BASF’s property would be a perfect site for data centers.

He said the area is more than a mile from residential areas, fronts the James River for cooling water, and has access to significant electric and gas power.

Henderson said data centers on the site would generate enough tax revenue to pay for the county’s proposed $250 million government center without taking taxpayer dollars, but that requiring a special use permit would slow down development.

In the end, a majority of supervisors voted to change county ordinances to place limits on where data centers could be located.

Supervisors agreed the county needed to further refine its policy, but that requiring a special use permit would avoid having a data center established without their consent.

“I really do not want to leave it out there” without some controls, Chair Jim Icenhour said.

Police are asking potential victims to contact them if they believe they were targeted by a Gloucester man accused of filming thousands of men in public restrooms around Williamsburg.

Police said they suspect George Thomas West of Gloucester County filmed thousands of men in public restrooms going back to 1996.

Most of the filming is believed to have taken place in Williamsburg on Saturdays.

The case broke last month, when Williamsburg police responded to a complaint of unlawful filming in a men’s bathroom at South Henry and Duke of Gloucester streets.

After the Aug. 2 complaint police contacted the Criminal Investigations Bureau, which investigated further.

West was arrested and taken into custody on 17 counts of unlawful filming of another person and one count of disorderly conduct.

But police believe his actions had far greater scope and believe there were other victims of that incident.

“If you believe you may have been unlawfully filmed in a men's bathroom in the City of Williamsburg, please contact (investigator) Steve Roberts Jr. of the Williamsburg Police Department,” city police said in a press release. Police said he can be contacted by email at srobertsjr@williamsburgva.gov. and asked informants to include “West 825” in the subject line.

Because of the volume of potential victims, the police department has assigned more people to talk to potential victims.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Peninsula Crime Stoppers by phone at 888-LOCK-U-UP or you can click here to submit a tip online.

Williamsburg sports center generating room reservations, promoter says

The Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events center has booked events over the next four years that will use nearly 86,000 room nights, the president and CEO of Visit Williamsburg told the city council Monday.

Edward Harris gave council an update on the marketing efforts underway to sell the services of the $80 million center, slated to open next year, including a video touting the Historic Triangle as a desirable destination for events.

“Most of the feedback we get back when we’re trying to close some of these tournaments is they’re blown away by the wide variety of things to do” in the area, Harris said. Another plus for the region is the perception that Williamsburg is safe, he said.

“They want to go to a place where their family is going to be safe and have lots of things to do,” he said.

Harris touted the potential of the center to introduce visitors to the region’s many other attractions, including Busch Gardens, Water Country, Colonial Williamsburg and historic sites in Yorktown.

“Having people come to Williamsburg for sports will introduce them to Williamsburg,” Harris said.

The experience is “different from when you came here in 8^th grade,” Mayor Douglas G. Pon agreed.

Asked by Vice Mayor W. Pat Dent to explain what barriers remain, Harris said the area needed more group dining facilities where participants can eat as a group after events, saying this was a good opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Harris said many events “are hesitant to book before being inside if and seeing “ how it will work for them, something that cannot be alleviated until the center opens.

Williamsburg air show cancelled

The Williamsburg airport will still celebrate its 55^th anniversary the weekend of Sept 20 – but without the airshow.

The manager of the Waltrip Williamsburg Executive Airport did not tell us why the air show was cancelled last week, but people who paid for tickets will be able to apply for a refund.

Instead the airport will offer a free anniversary event on the 20^th from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. featuring aircraft displays, an adventure zone for children, and food trucks.