Check-In with Citizens for Fauquier County
Written by Heidi Baumstark | Photos by Sherri Holdridge
Almost 60 years ago, Citizens for Fauquier County (CFFC) was founded with a simple mission: to protect Fauquier’s future. Motivated by the development spreading in surrounding jurisdictions, pioneer preservationist Hope Porter, of Warrenton, helped establish the organization in 1968. It’s now distinguished as the oldest nonprofit in the county and serves to maintain open spaces, preserve historic resources, and support agriculture, with a 100% geographical focus on Fauquier County.
The organization’s increased visibility and advocacy efforts have resulted in membership growth — both in headcount, about 2,000 strong, and increased donation sizes — transitioning from a concentration on smaller land-use issues to a broader view of the huge chunks of landscape threatened by data centers and their supporting infrastructure. To that end, CFFC collaborates with other like-minded organizations, such as the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area (VPHA), and others. “The threat environment has changed,” CFFC President Kevin Ramundo says of the last five years. “People share our concerns for protecting this county.”
Until recently, CFFC operated with an all-volunteer board of engaged members. Though this model served them well in the past, it’s no longer sustainable, and last fall the organization hired its first employee, Shelley Merryman, to manage operations. Plans are also in the works for an executive director staff position. Additional CFFC initiatives include raising funds to build an operating reserve and continue legal battles surrounding potential data centers; finalizing the implementation of a new membership database; and organizing more public events to generate interest and community involvement.
CFFC’s Latest Battle: Data Centers
CFFC has been instrumental in pausing the development of a 220,000-square-foot Amazon data center on 42 acres at the intersection of the Warrenton bypass (Route 15/Route 29) adjacent to Country Chevrolet. Lawsuits have halted the project’s progress until March 2026 — so, for now, this site on Blackwell Road remains vacant. Ramundo adds, “We have a definite path to win; we feel good about the outcome of the trial next year.”
CFFC also aligns with the community groups Protect Remington and the Catlett Project to lessen the impact of industrialization on these rural communities. CFFC played a leading role in organizing opposition against Haymarket-based developer Gigaland, which proposed a more than 200-acre data center complex in Remington that would consist of seven 80-foot-high concrete buildings covering over 2.2 million square feet. At a Fauquier County Planning Commission meeting in June, which several CFFC board members including Ramundo attended, a 4-1 vote rejected the proposal. Over 200 public comments were submitted, nearly 80% of which opposed the project. At a Fauquier County Board of Supervisors meeting in August, Gigaland was not on the official agenda, but about 50 people spoke about it during the citizens’ time, including Hope Porter. The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the Gigaland project at its September 11 meeting.
“People share our concerns for protecting this county.” –Ramundo
Historic Remington is in the bull’s-eye of three proposed data center projects, and this Gigaland complex would be the first. If the county moves forward with Gigaland, critics argue it opens the door for more, creating a “data center desert.” All three proposed projects would require rezoning and other land-use exceptions, setting a precedent and adding miles of electric transmission lines cutting across Fauquier’s landscape to supply the immense amount of power that these, and potentially other facilities, would require. “We have a saying: ‘What happens in Remington doesn’t stay in Remington,’” Ramundo says. Dissidents to the proposed data centers want to continue the revitalization of Remington into a livable community with a diversified economy, including more public recreation, homes, small businesses, and tourism.
Membership is Growing
In addition to recent preservation wins, membership has grown by 30%. The increase has been reflected in fundraising outcomes as well. “I find it very encouraging that about half of what we’ve raised comes from new members and existing members who are contributing more. We’ve become more robust than ever,” Ramundo says. Since 2023, the nonprofit has significantly increased fundraising efforts to keep up with rising costs due to litigation and build an operating reserve.
Ramundo also spearheaded the implementation of a new membership management software to ensure efficiency and improve communication. CFFC publishes a monthly online newsletter, The Monitor, to keep members advised about advocacy opportunities and up-to-date information. It also recently distributed its first-ever annual report.
Bringing Concerned Citizens Together
Last year, Ramundo says, “We did a couple of events so people can connect with what we’re doing,” including screening a video about Hope Porter’s early conservation efforts as well as a Celebrate Fauquier event at Highland School that included festivities for Porter’s 100th birthday. Looking ahead, “I’d love to have an annual Celebrate Fauquier event,” Ramundo says. “We have a lot to celebrate in this county.”
On October 27, 2024, CFFC bestowed its annual Kitty P. Smith Award honoring recipient Ann Mudge Backer at Hopefield, the historic home of Hope Porter, in Warrenton. This award, established in 2015, is to recognize outstanding lifetime conservationists who have contributed greatly to preserving the county’s rural landscape, historical resources, and agricultural economy.
“That’s part of what we do: working with others to succeed in keeping this place as special as it is.” –Ramundo
Earlier this year, in collaboration with other land preservation organizations, CFFC also partnered with the Old Dominion Conservation and Educational Foundation for a free, informative session at the Orlean Fire and Rescue to help landowners better understand how to protect and enhance their properties. The goal is to bring members together, invite the public to join, and educate residents on land-use issues and the county’s conservation efforts.
More recently, CFFC has been working with VPHA for an event about the history of Remington. “Historic preservation lines up nicely with our mission,” Ramundo shares. “The challenges are so substantial that the more folks and organizations working on these issues, the better. That’s part of what we do: working with others to succeed in keeping this place as special as it is.”
Through education and events, CFFC’s board continues to inspire the next generation of conservationists. Learn more about supporting CFFC, membership opportunities, and how to contribute through a tax-deductible donation at citizensforfauquier.org. ML
Featured photo, left to right: Bob Lee, Sophie Langenberg, and Kevin Ramundo.
Published in the September 2025 issue of Middleburg Life.