Frederick County Council Takes Testimony On Data Centers Bill

It would permit an overlay zone be set up at data center locations.Frederick, Md (KM) A large crowd turned out Tuesday night at Winchester Hall for a hearing before the Frederick County Council  on a bill covering data centers. If passed, it would set up an overlay zone for data centers.Charlie Zietech of Adamstown told the Council it needs to keep data centers far away from residential areas. “Push back this plan from our neighborhoods. Get it back from our front doors. Get it back from our historical churches and cemeteries,” he said.But there was some testimony in favor of data centers. Paul Satterfield is the owner of a local utility company which had some contracts to do  work at the former Eastalso site in Adamstown, where data centers are under construction. “We support this project because it does supply a lot of work for our employees and our people,” he said. “The bulk of our revenue for the past two years has come from this project.”In addition to creating an overlay in the county code, this bill would also limit this overlay to lands zoned limited industrial and general industrial. It would also limit the size of the overlay to  no more than one percent of the land within  Frederick County. The county wants to limit data centers to the area in and around the former Eastalso site.Another citizen who spoke was Arlene Perkins, who is a resident of Buckingham’s Choice, a retirement community in Buckeystown. She said the county needs to address the  high usage of electricity and water by data centers. “Where will all this energy come from and how will this affect our clean and more sustainable initiatives,” Perkins asked the Council. “Who’ll pay for the expanded energy sources and how will our area be able to meet the huge water demands of the center. How will you protect the lungs of our children and vulnerable adults from the air quality affect of diesel fuel from generators?”Carmen Vasso is with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers which  has members  working at the former Eastalco site. He says his support all about jobs. “We currently have over 100 members working on the existing data center sites. We are projected to have over 300 people or more per building that’s out there. So you can do the math with how many buildings are out there,” ;he said.But George Graves, who lives in Adamstown, had this precaution. “For all the trades that think this is great thing, and you’re making money:  don’t let your temporary gain be a lasting detriment to the rest of us.  You don’t have to do that,” he said, with the audience applauding.Council  President Brad Young says this bill will give the county the authority to set up an overlay. If the measure is passed, the Division of Planning and Zoning will draft a comprehensive map amendment around the Easalco site defining the overlay. It will go before the Planning Commission and the County Council. There will be plenty opportunities for the public to comment throughout this process, according to background from the county.By Kevin McManus