After a seven-and-a-half-hour public meeting on the future of data center development in Frederick County, Maryland, the planning commission could not come to a decision on a proposal to expand the development of data centers in the Adamstown area of the county.
Both opponents and supporters packed the Frederick County Planning Commission meeting.
Some came with signs saying, ‘preserve farmland’ and ‘do not expand data centers’ Some came with blown-up photos they say show runoff and other issues being created by current data center development.
“What do you need all these data centers for,” one opponent said. “Loudoun County is full of them. They’re just across the river.”
“Tech industries, really good jobs, high paying jobs,” one supporter said. “It would make us an attractive place to move to.”
The Commission is considering a proposal to expand data center development in the Adamstown area, where a data center campus is being built in and around the former East Alcoa aluminum plant. The proposal, called an overlay, would widen that area.
“We have an opportunity in Frederick County to do this,” one supporter said. “This is fantastic planning. Embrace it.”
“It’s not just Adams town. It’s the entire county that is being risked here by having more data centers,” one opponent said.
Some landowners are supporting the data center growth and want to be a part of the development.
“Currently, our family is requesting to be included in the CDI overlay zone and rezoned back to light industrial,” one supporter said.
Data center development has brought in $55 million in tax revenue since 202, according to the county, and that’s only expected to increase. But some say they care more about quality of life, health and environmental issues and worry their energy bills will go up.
“It’s not a good thing for the county,” one opponent said. “I mean, the traffic down there, the noise from the generators, is going to be unbearable for people.”
The Planning Commission makes a recommendation to the Frederick County Council, which will have the final say.
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