Front Royal Town Council made a significant decision regarding data centers following a five-hour public hearing attended by hundreds of residents. While I fully support the decision to prohibit data centers within the town limits, I believe the conversation must now shift toward investing in tourism, destination development, and quality-of-life initiatives that strengthen Warren County's long-term economic future.

Throughout history, communities have resisted new technologies, yet innovation rarely stops—it simply finds another route. As opposition to data centers grows across the country, the technology industry is already exploring alternatives ranging from floating facilities to orbital data centers. The question isn't whether computing demand will continue growing. The question is where the infrastructure of the future will be built.

A year ago, data centers coming to Warren County felt hypothetical to many people. Now the conversation has officially entered the public process.