Mayor tries to explain PW data center zoning failures

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1. 

   Patty Pratt

   2026-02-22

   As a native central Florida girl, I remember when Walt Disney World opened. I went 100s of times. As an adult I became aware of the shady tactics of these international business conglomerates who hid their intents and objectives by forming 100’s of small real estate companies and buying up land before anyone knew what the plan was and avoided property taxes. Then they formed their own government and fire department. The “conservation land” that Nevill mentions is now essentially off limits to everyone and you only see it when you are driving into Disney parking lots in miles-long lines of vehicles. The park was so far from the existing “workforce”…otherwise known as teenage-cheap-labor it was nearly impossible to commute. Entirely new towns spawned up on extremely leveraged land to all the Disney executives’ buddies and pals and wiped middle American Floridians out of the picture. Orlando became a DEAD town for at least a decade with no local thriving retails or restaurants. It took many years to meticulously revive it but at the peril of decades long Mom & Pop independently owned business. I’d say the thrill of Disney in the moment is fun; however there is a big price to pay. The Pirates of the Caribbean is their business model…hide in the dark, take anything you can get, destroy the local culture, pretend like you are the good guy and celebrate the demise of the local people. This is what the Data Center Mickey Mouse Club is attempting to convince you is a good thing. It’s Mickey Mouse logic.

   I am for rural industry development if it involves ideas like reinvigorating the textile industry, fabric and furniture makers, symbiotically existing amongst beef, poultry, dairy and agriculture. You can have locally sourced, fresh food in the local stores (YUM) rather than the frozen trucked-in low quality, highly injected with preservatives and fake peels internationally owned farmers produce and meats (YUCK). Take big conglomerate operations off the zoning maps…the only diversity they produce is in the relative paychecks….Big bux for thee and a pittance for me.

   Bringing back middle-class independently-owned-operated small industries is how you begin to create wealth, jobs, upward mobility and longevity for generations of Virginians to come. I’d say a data center or two in an outlier location is okay, but near a town or destroying a farming community is not the answer to having more town amenities. Building strong businesses and attracting shoppers and visitors with good quality food and charming experiences is how we all win and easily afford a fire department.

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