"I can tell Prince William County is on the cusp of something huge if the powers at be just take a second to realize the positive implications the Gateway projects will have on all of us."
From: Joe Merritt
Date: February 3, 2022 at 6:31:04 PM EST
Subject: PWC Digital Gateway (Pageland Corridor)
I am writing this email in reference to the Prince William County Gateway (Pageland Corridor) that is currently the hot topic on all the local media outlets. While I understand some PWC residents are concerned about historical conservation and environmental impacts, the positive impacts the tax infusions will have for the county far outway those concerns based on the plan that has been submitted. There is a reason why Loudoun County Schools has been one of the top public schools in the country, and that is funding. With additional funding comes better schools, better technology, better teachers due to higher compensation.
What does a better school district bring? It brings more families interested in residing in that school district which helps raise property values, tax revenue, and local businesses thrive as well. Again, another reason why Loudoun County has been one of the fastest growing counties in NOVA. I keep bringing Loudoun County up because seventy percent of the world's internet passes through the fiber optics there. Compare it to a natural resource to a region. The majority of the world's internet passes through our backyard, why not take advantage of this, as a county, to promote better initiatives at all levels. I moved to Prince William County from Loudoun County just over two years ago. The difference between the counties is evident in the surrounding infrastructure and school ratings. I moved here for better quality of life for my family personally and in work related matters with commuting etc. While you can't currently compare the two counties as far as the eyeball test is concerned, I can tell Prince William County is on the cusp of something huge if the powers at be just take a second to realize the positive implications the Gateway projects will have on all of us.
Who doesn't like lower property taxes? That's exactly what the additional funding the tax revenue will bring.
What is the "the cloud" we hear referenced all the time with storage related matters with all digital media used today with our current technologies? The cloud is data centers and the servers they house within them. As technology expands, so does the need for the cloud to as well. It's not a mythical place used as a punch line. The cloud is a living breathing machine(s) housed within the data centers that are built all over Loudoun County and parts of Prince William. It will expand regardless of where the data centers are built.
Why not benefit Prince William County and all of the residing and future residents by bringing that funding here?
What other business or service could bring $450-$700 Million dollars in additional tax revenue to Prince William County without thousands of commuters and carbon emissions? I'm still waiting.
You can't find one that's better than this digital gateway along Pageland because the Carbon footprint is minimal and once completed they only house about twenty employees to keep them operational on a daily basis. So you get all the positive financial impact without the burden of commuter traffic and carbon emissions that larger plant style businesses would bring. I find it hard to come up with any negative impacts the gateway might bring that can even come close to the positives it's guaranteed to provide.
I appreciate your time and attention and I hope you truly take your residents' opinions into consideration.
Thanks
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Joe Merritt