top of page

Where Will Data Centers Be Located?

Status of CDI Overlay Zone MAP

and County Council Schedule

Plan to attend these pivotal sessions!

At its meeting on 10/21, the Frederick County Planning Commission voted to recommend limiting the Critical Digital Infrastructure (CDI) Overlay Zone Map to the "existing Quantum Frederick data center campus that already has site and preliminary plan approval and areas known as the Noffsinger and Windridge properties, east of Cap Stine Road" (Frederick News-Post).

​

The Planning Commission's recommendation largely agrees with the position advocated by the Sugarloaf Alliance and rejects the expanded map presented by the county administration and staff.

​

See below for the upcoming schedule for County Council consideration of the Overlay Map.

Background

 

The topic on the table is data center location. This is NOT a decision about the merits of data centers or whether to have data centers in the County; that decision was made a couple of years ago. This discussion is ONLY about defining where in the county data centers can be built. The Eastalco property is already approved and under development; the question is whether and how much more acreage will be added to that.

​

Compare the maps: Visit our website to see side-by-side images of the maps. Click here for the Planning Commission's CDI Overlay Zone Map map and full recommendation text. This Overlay map only adds the two adjacent properties already planned to be industrial, and this is the map that will begin the discussion at the County Council. Click here for a link to the map originally proposed by the County Executive and planning staff to the Planning Commission, which would expand the area allowed for data centers beyond acreage currently planned to be industrial. We include this map because we anticipate some Council Members may propose amendments to restore some or all of this expansion.

​

Sugarloaf Alliance opposes expansion of the Eastalco Growth area as recommended by the administration. Click here to read a list of the reasons why we believe that expansion would be a radical change in the nature of Adamstown, Buckeystown, Point of Rocks, and rural southern Frederick County overall.

​

County Council Schedule

 

Consideration of the CDI Overlay Zone Map now moves to the County Council. Their announced schedule:

  • Tues., 12/2: Workshop - Staff will present the map recommended by the Planning Commission and offer discussion points.

  • Tues., 12/16: Hearing - The public is invited to present comments.

  • Tues., 12/23: Decision - County Council Members may offer amendments to the CDI Overlay Map recommended by the Planning Commission. Currently, the Council plans to vote that same evening.

Please mark your calendars; we believe large public turnout at all three of these meetings will help support a limited CDI map. Please plan to attend! Council meetings begin at 5:30; hearings are usually scheduled for 7:00pm. Council meetings take place in Winchester Hall, 12 E. Church Street, Frederick.

bottom of page