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
Near a large urban and suburban areas, we need green spaces for both people and wild life.
A Green Infrastructure Plan should be completed and adopted before approving major new industrial rezonings. Check one.
Strongly Agree
As we grow, we need to be mindful of preserving green areas for parks, recreation and wildlife. Having a clear plan, one that will be adhered to through the many years so that property owners are protected as well as those who want to enjoy open space is critical to avoid future controversies. Plans must be developed in full view of the public with lots of chances for real citizen input.
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
The only way to avoid mistrust and court challenges and to get the best results is for development plans regardless of what type -Data Centers, housing developments or solar facilities- is for them to be developed with full community input and transparency.There is no reason for any elected or other public official acting in their official capacity to sign a NDA.
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
There is no reason for any elected or other public official acting in their official capacity to sign a NDA.
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.
Agree
I agree generally. I don't have much hope that the study that is scheduled to come out in September will fully answer all the concerns of the public.
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)
At this point because of the poor way the county government has handled the data center development, no data centers should be allowed to be built. In the future, perhaps but we need to fully address the issues: health risks, noise, water consumption and the energy supply.
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
Zoning restricting developed with full public participation must be adopted after a comprehensive report on the best way to move forward for Frederick is completed.
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.
The money and tax revenues are very alluring. There is a resident in one of the communities in Ashburn VA that is trying to get his whole neighborhood to sell to a data company at a premium price because life near Virginia's data center alley is proving to be uncomfortable (particularly the noise but also the unknowns regarding health risks.) The way Frederick County government and county executive have handled this issue is wrong and needs to be reversed. I am not against data centers but I believe that they need to provide their own energy and be located away from schools, office parks and residential ares. Should we be looking at the size of them. What will they look like in the future-- will data center development follow the path of yesterday's mainframe computers which turned into today's laptops and cell phones?