Dear Friends,

Frederick County residents have been clear: we will accept data center development, but we will not tolerate the sprawl that we’ve seen in northern Virginia.

We are delivering on that expectation with legislation to limit data center development to the area around the former East Alcoa property in Adamstown.

The proposed bill includes several important protections:

Limiting data centers to less than 1% of the County’s landmass
Setting a clear goal to preserve 5 acres of land for each acre rezoned for data centers
Prohibiting data centers from being built within 500 feet of residential communities
Requiring significant opportunities for public input throughout the process

This bill is being introduced tonight at the County Council meeting and will move through the Council’s legislative process.

So, what happens next?

The Division of Planning & Permitting will develop a map amendment which clearly shows where data centers can be built. The map will go through its own public process that involves notice to the community, hearings before the Planning Commission and County Council, and review by multiple state agencies. At the end of the process, the Council will debate and vote on the proposed map.

There will be ample opportunities for you to be heard, and I will keep you posted as the process unfolds.

Our bill builds on the significant progress we’ve made in regulating the data center industry by limiting sprawl and providing certainty to the community and the industry. It’s an important step in delivering on our promise to be a national leader in data center development, taking a measured and intentional approach, and proving that Frederick County will never look like northern Virginia.

Sincerely,

Jessica Fitzwater

By authority: Friends of Jessica Fitzwater, Paul Fulcher, Treasurer.

Friends of Jessica Fitzwater
P.O. Box 3574
Frederick, MD 21705
United States
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