Braemar residents urge supervisors to block Dominion’s Vint Hills substation and Route 5 "blue line"

Multiple residents of the Braemar and Bristow area told the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Jan. 20 that Dominion Energy’s proposed upgrades near Vint Hills and a related Route 5 transmission “blue line” threaten neighborhood character, protected wetlands and public safety.

The public‑comment period featured five Braemar speakers. Victoria Winn, introduced by the clerk as the first speaker, told the board she has lived in Bristow for almost 20 years and said the green spaces in her neighborhood were originally designated as protected wetlands. She said the proposed blue line and “a supercharged GIS substation” would run close to homes and schools and asked, “When will the board finally say no?”

Edward Wen, who said he has lived in the county for 60 years, warned the projects are “enablers for expanded data center development,” argued that the long‑term environmental costs would fall on residents, and urged supervisors to “reject the Route 5 blue line and the GIS [substation] proposals.”

Speakers from the Save Braemar Coalition and other neighbors repeated concerns about zoning and public health. Brandy Eng said Dominion plans to replace the existing facility with a much larger gas‑insulated facility on land zoned A‑1 agricultural and that the company seeks to reduce safety buffer distances to about 30 feet from Vint Hill Road. She cited potential leaks of potent greenhouse gases and asked the board to “choose people and families over data centers.”

Lisa Collin raised zoning and permitting questions, including whether a full rebuild should be treated as new construction subject to stricter review. John Bianchi described potential impacts on backyards, creekside resource‑protection areas and bog turtle and bat habitat in the right‑of‑way.

No board action on the Vint/Vin Hills substation was taken at the meeting. The chair noted earlier in the session that Dominion had deferred a Vint Hills item scheduled at a later meeting and the board voted to cancel a 7 p.m. meeting tied to that item. The county executive also reported the county had sent a letter on Dec. 22 to the State Corporation Commission and Dominion regarding the Nokesville–Bristow transmission project.

Speakers and residents urged the board to treat substations and transmission lines as infrastructure that should be sited in industrial corridors rather than rural residential areas, and several asked supervisors to consider stricter oversight and to deny special‑use permit requests when projects are incompatible with the comprehensive plan or A‑1 zoning.

The board heard these remarks during the public‑comment period; supervisors acknowledged the concerns and said staff and the relevant agencies would continue to engage and that any permit or application would return for public consideration as required.