Sugarloaf Alliance
Preservation * Smarter Growth * Transparency in Government
Development near Sugarloaf (west of I-270 and north to the Monocacy River) should remain protected and free from commercial and industrial development. Check one
Strongly agree
Industrial and commercial encroachment west of I-270 threatens the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape and the Monocacy River watershed. This sensitive region provides essential carbon sinks and natural filtration for our groundwater. Paving over these critical recharge zones causes irreversible environmental degradation. Smart growth requires directing high-density development into existing municipal corridors, protecting our agricultural economy, and preserving our natural heritage for future generations.
A Green Infrastructure Plan should be completed and adopted before approving major new industrial rezonings. Check one.
Strongly Agree
Approving major industrial rezonings before adopting a Green Infrastructure Plan puts our environment at serious risk. We must map and protect critical hubs, wildlife corridors, and water resources before introducing heavy development. A comprehensive plan ensures that growth does not fragment our ecosystems or compromise watershed health. Forcing development to adapt to environmental guardrails, rather than chasing damage control later, represents the only responsible path forward.
If elected, do you pledge to never sign an NDA with a data center developer or other developer, nor to be bound by an NDA signed by another county official with a data center developer or any other developer? Check one.
Yes
Public trust demands absolute transparency in governance. Signing non-disclosure agreements with developers shuts out the community and hides critical decisions about land use, energy consumption, and water resources from public view. I pledge to maintain open communication and reject any agreements that bind public officials to secrecy, ensuring that developers remain fully accountable to the residents of Frederick County.
County legislation should be developed to prohibit County Council members, the County Executive, and county staff from signing any NDA that restricts their ability to inform the public, deliberate openly, or carry out their public duties. Check one.
Strongly agree
Backroom deals have no place in public governance. Non-disclosure agreements fundamentally undermine the democratic process by forcing elected leaders and staff to serve corporate interests over their own constituents. Codifying a strict prohibition on these secrecy agreements ensures complete institutional transparency, guaranteeing that the public retains its right to monitor, deliberate, and oversee major land-use and infrastructure decisions that impact our communities.
Frederick County should fund a thorough, independent cost-benefit analysis of data center impacts, specifically on Frederick County, regardless of any analysis that may be conducted by the State of Maryland on State level impacts. Check one.
Strongly agree
State-level analyses frequently overlook localized strain on municipal infrastructure and resources. Frederick County faces unique, direct pressure from data center developments that heavily impact our local power grid, clean water supply, and historic landscapes. Funding an independent, county-specific study ensures we uncover the true long-term environmental and fiscal impacts, giving our community the transparent data required to enact strict local protections.
How many data centers should be built in Frederick County? Check the answer closest to your position.
4 (allow only the data centers currently under construction in Adamstown)
Unchecked data center expansion poses an immediate threat to our shared natural resources and community infrastructure. While full opposition to facilities already underway in Adamstown presents severe legal and financial liabilities for county taxpayers, we must draw a firm line against further growth.
Allowing expansion into a massive, thousands-of-acres overlay zone invites corporate exploitation, risks our clean water supply, and threatens regional grid stability. Restricting development exclusively to projects currently under construction honors existing legal commitments while permanently protecting Frederick County from industrial sprawl.
What new county data center legislation would you endorse? Check all you support.
Increased distances to residences and public uses, Stricter noise limits, Stricter water use limits, Stricter design, height, and screening limits, Efficiency and power consumption limits, Full disclosure of electricity consumption, water consumption, height and footprint, backup generation capacity, noise and lighting impacts, and infrastructure needs and requirements of proposed data centers., An independent, third-party regularly monitoring data center operation (e.g. noise, water consumption) that reports its results publicly, including additional testing triggered by resident complaints or changes in operations., Mandatory corrective actions within a defined timeframe, with meaningful penalties or operational restrictions if compliance is not achieved (if post-construction monitoring shows a data center exceeds approved limits).
I endorse maximum legislative guardrails over an outright moratorium. If a developer achieves total resource independence, eliminates pollution, and proves zero environmental impact, responsible growth remains possible.
However, voluntary compliance is insufficient. Codifying these strict limits, mandatory third-party monitoring, and aggressive enforcement ensures corporate transparency. We must protect public health, safeguard groundwater, and guarantee that developers bear the full infrastructure burden, keeping our communities safe and completely protected from industrial strain.
What are your thoughts concerning environmental issues, preservation, development, transparency in government, and data centers in Frederick County? Describe any priorities, tradeoffs, or concerns that guide your thinking.
I approach these issues with a commitment to transparent governance and smart growth.
Our environment, including the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape and local watersheds, requires unwavering protection. Backroom deals and corporate non-disclosure agreements undermine public trust and have no place in Frederick County.
The rapid expansion of massive data centers presents a critical challenge. These industrial facilities strain our power grid and threaten clean water resources. While I do not support an outright moratorium if developers can prove total resource independence and zero environmental impact, we must codify maximum legislative guardrails.
Our clear priority must favor rigorous transparency, independent cost-benefit analyses, and mandatory third-party monitoring. We can balance economic growth only by forcing development to adapt to strict environmental protections, permanently safeguarding our rural heritage.