BOTETOURT CO., Va. – Residents and local leaders in Botetourt County are once again raising questions about transparency and public involvement as the community navigates major development projects, including a proposed Google data center and the Rocky Forge Wind Project.
Austen Schwend, who ran last year for the House of Delegates seat held by Terry Austin, said the county often meets only the minimum legal requirements for public notification, leaving residents unaware of major projects until key decisions have already been made.
“They do enough to be public as they’re legally required to, but they never actually come out and say, ‘Hey, we’re thinking about putting a data center here. Do you want that?’ That never happens,” Schwend said…