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Challenging the County's 

"Economic Opportunity" Process

 

Frederick County held the first of several public "outreach" sessions about its IW2 plan on Thursday, 9/19; please read the Frederick News Post (FNP) coverage of the meeting here. For two hours, county staff from the Livable Frederick and Economic Opportunity offices responded to questions about IW2, the so-called "Investing in Workers and Workplaces" plan, from roughly 80 attendees.

 

FNP says: "(T)he question-and-answer period quickly devolved into an extended back-and-forth between the county staff and audience members concerned that the plan could result in land being taken out of preservation to benefit industries such as critical digital infrastructure." An example of that might be the development of the Natelli land west of I-270.

 

The FNP description says "devolved" because the meeting wasn't intended to be a large-group Q&A. "Divide and conquer" was the aim: Staff was/is inviting the public to gather at information tables, look at maps and fill out a survey, available at the meetings and on the county website.

 

Sugarloaf Alliance challenges this "outreach" strategy as considerably less than satisfactory. Unlike other public comments in county planning processes, no identification of the commenter is requested (every developer in the state, their employees and contractors could respond). We have concerns that the survey provides no context about the many factors one might include in consideration of economic opportunity. Commenters simply are asked to name Frederick County's top 3 economic challenges, top 3 economic strengths, and to describe a vision of Frederick County's economy in 2050. As we understand it, these responses become the basis of the county's record of this "outreach" effort. As far as we know, no official record was kept of the concerns expressed during the two-hour question and answer session.

 

We have questions that weren't answered on Thursday. We ALL should keep asking!

 

o   The Green Infrastructure Plan was scheduled to be launched and completed in 2024-25. Why is the county now choosing to designate commercial zoning changes before choosing where to preserve green infrastructure?

 

o What industries are proposed for these newly rezoned greenfield properties (as if we didn't know*)?

 

o   Doesn't it make more sense to fully develop existing commercial/industrial zoned properties before undeveloped land is proposed and enabled by rezoning actions and incentives? Why isn't this IW2 effort focused on identifying the challenges of redevelopment?

 

o Are strategies other than extensive development being considered for raising county income, such as business property tax (as in Montgomery and Washington Counties) for example?

 

o   Shouldn't economic choices be based on comprehensive, unbiased cost/benefit analysis?  Where are those analyses?

 

*Read Sugarloaf Alliance's full position and a list of questions here.

Is it a coincidence that the 2021 data center map projects 9,400 acres and the IW2 group has suggested 10,000?

 

Your presence will help! The next IW2 outreach meeting will be held:

 

Wednesday, 9/25, 2:00pm

585 Himes Avenue, Frederick, MD 21703

 

 

Fitzwater Announces Data Center Legislation

 

Last week, County Executive Jessica Fitzwater announced that she is submitting two bills to the County Council based on recommendations made by the Data Centers Work Group. Read the press release here; see her announcement video here; read the Frederick News Post summary here.

 

The first bill she described addresses the siting of data centers, sustainability, lighting, noise, vibration, view-shed issues, generators and fuel storage. The second bill will propose a CDI floating zone that is restrictive, limiting data centers to industrial and light industrial zones, and requiring that each data center get Planning Commission and County Council approval. Ms. Fitzwater noted that she has strong concerns about this restrictive version of a floating zone idea. She also emphasized that she believes the county's conversation and decisions about data centers should be in full public view. She is asking the County Council to introduce both bills at their October 8 meeting.

 

You'll remember that the drive for data centers in south Frederick County has been a strong concern for our community in the Sugarloaf Plan area. See the county map envisioning data center placement in and adjacent to the designated Treasured Landscape.

 

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Mark Your Calendars!

It's time for the Data Center Debates

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It's a busy season for environmental advocacy. Notice that the "Economic Opportunity" IW2 process, the "StopMPRP" high voltage transmission line debates, and now the county's data center legislation consideration are all going on at the same time. Data centers are a primary focus in each of these conversations.

 

Thanks for continuing to join your neighbors in preserving the Sugarloaf area and the environmental integrity of south Frederick County.

 

IW2 "Outreach" Meetings

-Wednesday, 9/25, 2:00pm

585 Himes Avenue, Frederick, MD 21703

-Wednesday, 10/2, 6:00pm

585 Himes Avenue, Frederick, MD 21703

If you can only come to one, please come on 10/2!

 

County Council Data Center Legislation

We expect two data center bills to be introduced.

Tuesday, October 8, 5:30pm

Winchester Hall, 12 E. Church Street, Frederick

 

Frederick County MPRP Info Meeting

County Executive Fitzwater will convene a community meeting about the proposed high power transmission line project (MPRP). Proposed pathways cross the Sugarloaf Plan area.

Wednesday, October 9, 6pm

Oakdale High School auditorium

5850 Eaglehead Drive, Ijamsville, MD 21754