American Battlefield Trust Vows to Keep Up Fight Against Digital Gateway After Judge Dismisses Lawsuit

(Manassas, VA) — The American Battlefield Trust is pursuing options for appeal after the Circuit Court of Prince William County dismissed its lawsuit against Prince William County and two tech companies over plans to develop the world’s largest data center complex adjacent to the Manassas National Battlefield. 

Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Tracy Hudson ruled that the case brought by the Trust and nine citizen plaintiffs against the Board of Supervisors and tech companies planning to canvas 1,750 historic acres with massive data centers and related infrastructure was insufficient to proceed to trial.   

“While disappointed in today’s decision, the Trust remains undaunted,” stated American Battlefield Trust President David N. Duncan. “We’ve experienced setbacks before, and still prevailed. The Manassas Battlefield is too important to allow it to be overwhelmed by the world’s largest data center campus. Mark my words – this fight has only just begun.” 

Duncan’s remarks were echoed by attorney and former State Senator Chap Petersen, who represents the Trust and other plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Speaking after the ruling, Petersen declared: “This is only the beginning of the process. We will go to the Court of Appeals. This is an important cause, and we are not giving up.” 

The Trust and nine citizens filed the lawsuit in January against the county Board of Supervisors and two tech companies to stop development of the 1,750-acre Prince William Digital Gateway. The lawsuit cites several legal violations committed by Prince William County as grounds to overturn the rezonings. They include: the lack of required information about the development; inadequate public notice and hearings; unlawful waivers of key analyses; submissions and approvals; failure to consider key environmental and historical facts; and unlawful delegation of rezoning power through failure to identify which of the more than 1,750 acres could be put to what uses. 

The Trust is part of a coalition of national, statewide and regional nonprofits that oppose the Prince William Digital Gateway.  Earlier in October, several of these organizations, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Preservation Virginia, the Piedmont Environmental Council, and the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, filed an amicus curiae brief in support the Digital Gateway lawsuit. 

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 58,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War across 160 sites in 25 states, including 386 acres associated with the Manassas Battlefield. Learn more at www.battlefields.org. 

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