Welcome to Just Outside DC — the only local newsletter that’s absolutely diabolical.

THE BIG IDEA

Springfield data center debate gets heated.

On Sept 10th, the county Board of Supervisors lit a fuse by approving zoning rules for some new behemoth server farms.

They tried to regulate noise, design, and keeping them away from residential areas. But critics say it was too little, too late.

In case you’re out of the loop: This saga began with mass protests over unchecked "data center growth" before the county's June hearing. The original Plaza 500 plan was epically tone-deaf — putting it less than 250 feet from homes with a substation under 100 feet away!

Fast forward to the 10th, Supervisors Jimenez and Alcorn went for the jugular — demanding the controversial Plaza 500 data center in Springfield play by the new rules.

But the establishment hit back HARD, with Chairman Jeff McKay leading an 8-2 smackdown of their amendment. This had the "Save Bren Mar Coalition" seeing red.

Vocal opponent Cynthia Shang also had a lot of criticisms for the data centers okayed for Sully District, namely:

• The fact that these data centers will be double the size of those built anywhere else. According to Shang, Sully rep Kathy Smith ignored the 250,000 square foot cap size despite pleas from the coalition.

• The by-products of the data center cooling process saturates the water supply with materials that are hazardous for those with high blood pressure and kidney issues.

The lone bright spot was Springfield rep Pat Herrity backing the new rules for addressing prior community gripes. But he still side-eyed the ban on data centers within a metro mile, citing the jobs and tax revenue they provide.

So, in conclusion… enjoy these topical memes made by our unpaid Gen-Z intern. Looks like they just got a whole lot more poignant.

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Bulletin Board 📌 

New Job Alert!  

Two newsletters ago, we mentioned our new local job board. Fast forward to today, and the first job is already posted:

A private estate in McLean is looking to hire another gardener to tend to their 6 acre residence. You can view the full job listing here.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

Reader Restaurant Recommendation

One of our readers, Peter, recommends you guys check out Lil’ Cow in Burke. Check out their new aptfully named sandwich called… “The Burke”.

QUICK HITS

• Students from James Madison High in Vienna raised $20k to buy their school’s custodian his dream car 🥹 

• The Hirshhorn is opening a Banksy x Basquiat exhibit later this month 🖌️

• Apparently, if you want to survive an alien invasion, you should head to Virginia — lucky us, I guess? 🛸 

• Checkout this new omakase spot coming to McLean lead by a former Nobu chef 🍣 

• Shaboozey (of Woodbridge) got two huge Country Music Association Award nominations this year 🪕 

LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN

• Cox Farms Fall Festival | the famous annual festival kicks off tomorrow and continues until November in Chantilly 🍁 

• Wolf Trap | James Taylor and Kristin Chenoweth are both performing at the Filene Center this weekend 🎵 

• Kevin Hart is performing throughout this weekend at DAR Constitution Hall in DC 🎙️ 

• Old Town Art Fest | the 22nd annual festival is happening at John Carlyle Square in Alexandria this weekend 🧑‍🎨 

• Fall Makers Market | 30 vendors, craft beer, music, and a beautiful fall day at Port City Brewing tomorrow 🍂 

• Moon Festival | a traditional Vietnamese mid-autumn celebration with lanterns, art contests, and mooncakes at Eden Center 🌙 

• Fall Fest and Chili Cook Off | 150 vendors, live performances, and chili tomorrow at Stonebridge Town Center in Woodbridge 🌶️ 

• Falls Church Festival | a celebration of the taste of Falls Church kicking off tomorrow with local restaurant tastings, entertainment, and beer 🍻 

• Oktoberfest | the Swiss Bakery in Springfield is hosting their first of two autumn celebrations on Sunday 🇨🇭 

• Maryland Renaissance Festival | travel back in time to visit the 16th-century Village of Revel Grove every weekend in Annapolis MD until the end of October 🏰 

• Cirque Du Soleil OVO | a ladybug captures the eye of an awkward insect who has just moved in, and the two instantly fall in love. At Capitol One Arena until the 15th 🐞 

• African Food Festival | the first ever festival is happening in Manassas with African foods from a variety of regions 😋 

• Mason District Restaurant Week | the Mason District’s first ever Restaurant Week kicked off a few days ago and is running until September 15th. Here’s the restaurant lineup 🧑‍🍳 

• LoCo Wine Festival | wine tastings hosted by LC’s leading vineyards in the heart of DC’s wine country this weekend 🍇 

• Torpedo Factory 50th Anniversary | dress in your best ‘70s attire and enjoy art activities tonight in Alexandria with more celebrations throughout the weekend 🕺 🪩 

• Colonial Market and Fair | take a step back in time and enjoy some colonial food, wares, music, and games at Mount Vernon this weekend 🍒 🌳 🪓 

• Raptor Rapture | spend your lunch break today at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria and meet some owls, hawks, and other raptors up close 🦉 

Thanks so much for reading today’s issue of Just Outside D.C.

If you’re new here, we write about the latest stories and events happening in Northern VA every week.

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