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
Sugarloaf Mountain and it's surrounding landscape are one of Frederick's most prized gems. We need to protect that from commercial/industrial sprawl and direct it towards existing growth corridors with established infrastructure. If we build smart, we can retain what makes Frederick so beautiful, and that is our green spaces.
A Green Infrastructure Plan should be completed and adopted before approving major new industrial rezonings. Check one.
Strongly Agree
Major new industrial rezonings have lasting effects on our community. That's why a Green Infrastructure Plan must be completed beforehand so decisions are made with sound data and push us toward a renewable future. We need to have a proactive approach that identifies critical environmental resources, protects our working farmlands, and ensures growth happens in areas where the impacts on infrastructure and the environment can be responsibly managed.
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
I will never sign any NDA that prohibits me from keeping an open and transparent office. If elected, I'll be representing the People, not developers! And the People deserve to know in totality how development decisions are going to affect their neighborhoods, farmlands, environment, public resources, and tax dollars. I will work for the People and no one else.
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
Trust in government depends on transparency and accountability. NDA's put a wall directly between public officials and the People they are meant to serve. I wholeheartedly support legislation prohibiting any NDA that limits an official's ability in any capacity to openly speak to or fulfill the responsibilities they have to the People.
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
A thorough, independent cost-benefit analysis must be done specifically for Frederick to ensure the effects on our water, energy, infrastructure, quality of life, and tax revenue aren't overlooked by a broader state analysis. We need to know exactly how these decisions impact the People of Frederick, and tell them so in a transparent and evidence-based assessment.
How many data centers should be built in Frederick County? Check the answer closest to your position.
0 (I will oppose all data centers, even those under construction)
Right now I believe we need to halt all construction until the referendum goes to vote, and we have an independent, Frederick specific Impact Analysis. We're allowing plans to go through before we even know what it's going to do to Our People.
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)., A moratorium on new data centers
Given the scale, expansion, and uncertainty of the effects, I do support a temporary moratorium until the county completes a full, independent analysis of the infrastructure, energy, environmental, and community impacts. Any future development should only proceed under strict and enforceable standards and regulations.
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.
Frederick has been facing intense pressure from developers for too long and at the expense of our farmlands, water resources, and the voice of the People. The environment is not an afterthought, and moving forward its protection must be the baseline requirement for any and all major decisions. Smart growth means protecting our green spaces and farms, safeguarding our watersheds, and refusing unchecked sprawl into our rural communities.
On the data centers, I believe we need to respect the voice of the People and listen when it's screaming at us. I support a full pause until an independent analysis can be done and made public. Too often projects are being approved faster than the People can fully understand their consequences. That must end.
Transparency is non-negotiable. The People deserve open and honest decision-making from their elected officials, not NDA's and secret deals.