I feel I owe an update to a previous blogpost (Never Faithless) written on November 21, 2024. As I wrote before, my neighborhood was recently challenged by a proposal by Balico, LLC. to build a mega compound of data centers and a large power plant, that would have engulfed an entire community and caused irreparable damage, in my opinion (please, visit previous post for the details). After much opposition by local and county residents (and tons of prayers), Balico decided to withdraw its modified project, thus resulting on a denial of rezoning by the Board of Supervisors, and after the Planning Board did not recommend the project.

Now, Balico is considering other development options on 750 acres of land. The company has expressed the desire to utilize such land for the future construction of a very large housing development project. Assuming the use of the 750 acres, current zoning would allow two dwellings per acre (1500 dwellings). In my opinion, each dwelling can house more than one person, of course, and I think that this number of dwellings would more than double, possible triple or quadruple, the population of our small town, which as of the latest 2020 Census has around 1232 people. With a small population, our town lacks the infrastructure to accumulate such an influx of people; we simply don’t have the resources. It would add a strain in our country roads, schools, mail delivery system, water consumption, and much more. Small towns grow slowly into smaller cities and so on, not overnight.

I see a company that does not care at all for the footprint that it leaves behind but cares only about fast profit without regard of how it is made. Although Balico is in the early stages of exploring other development options for the land, and it has not rendered any concrete plans as of now, one thing is very clear, Balico does not understand us, our values, our way of life.