AT&T and Short Hill Mountain Facility: Last Call

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As we indicated in our post of May 19, 2016, AT&T is proposing to construct a 160,000 square foot facility (the equivalent of

Short Hill Mountain as seen from across the Potomac River along the C&O Canal

nearly 3 football fields) on their property at the top of Short Hill Mountain. The proposed structure would be 35 feet high, requiring eight 4MW backup diesel generators (that need to be tested on a weekly basis for one hour each) and a massive cooling system; the total number of employees working 24/7 would be 60. By the way, AT&T pays no Loudoun County Property Taxes on this site!

I am writing to enlist your support because residents in the Lovettsville / North Purcellville areas will be affected by the potential negative consequences of this project, which include noise pollution, light pollution, increased traffic on rural roads, the risk of storing /spilling thousands of gallons of diesel fuel, disturbance of wildlife, and an eyesore on top of one of Loudoun County’s most scenic, pastoral mountain spaces. Many area residents categorically oppose the construction of a “communications switching station” (being called by many a data center) on the Short Hill Mountain. More information and a position statement from Friends, go to http://www.friendsofblueridge.org/ and click on the “AT&T Short Hill Mountain Facility”.

In spite of the fact that this project clearly violates the Comprehensive Plan, the Planning Commission has approved it. More important, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the AT&T application at their business meeting on June 23rd. While the Supervisors are not happy about this project, rather than opposing it they are seeking mitigation measures from the applicant. We encourage you to show up at the BOS meeting on June 7th or June 23rd to express your opposition, and/or email your supervisor (see list below):

SPEAKERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SIGN‐UP IN ADVANCE BY CALLING THE OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OR THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AT (703) 777‐0204 OR (703) 777‐ 0200, RESPECTIVELY. SPEAKERS WILL BE ASKED THE DATE OF THE BUSINESS MEETING AT WHICH THEY WISH TO SPEAK. THE SPEAKERS SHALL IDENTIFY THE TOPIC TO BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, E‐MAIL ADDRESS, ELECTION DISTRICT, AND ANY ORGANIZATION THEY REPRESENT, IF APPLICABLE. CUT‐OFF TIME FOR ADVANCED SIGN‐UP IS AT NOON ON THE BUSINESS MEETING DATE.

Regards,
Norman Myers, VP
Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Contact: normanmy@verizon.net
PO Box 1002, Purcellville, VA 20134
www.friendsofblueridge.org

Supervisor’s Emails:
Geary.Higgins@loudoun.gov
Phyllis.Randall@loudoun.gov
Tony.Buffington@loudoun.gov
Kristen.Umstattd@loudoun.gov
Matt.Letourneau@loudoun.gov
Ralph.Buona@loudoun.gov
Ron.Meyer@loudoun.gov
Suzanne.Volpe@loudoun.gov