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
The Sugarloaf Mountain area is a vital ecological, historical, and agricultural treasure. Preserving the region west of I-270 and north to the Monocacy River free from industrial development is essential for smart growth. Our long-term planning must prioritize natural resources and agricultural lands. Introducing intense commercial zoning threatens our watershed, strains the energy grid, and alters rural character. Growth must be sustainable, ensuring areas designated for preservation remain fully protected.
A Green Infrastructure Plan should be completed and adopted before approving major new industrial rezonings. Check one.
Strongly Agree
A comprehensive Green Infrastructure Plan is essential to evaluate the cumulative impacts of growth on our natural resources. Approving major industrial rezonings without this data-driven framework is fiscally and environmentally irresponsible. We must prioritize infrastructure readiness and resource protection before expanding industrial footprints. Making decisions in a vacuum risks irreversible damage to our environment and community health. True fiscal accountability requires planning first, so development never outpaces our county's capacity.
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
Transparency is essential for maintaining public trust, especially concerning infrastructure and land-use decisions that reshape our community. While I recognize that legal frameworks can sometimes bind an administration to existing agreements, I am committed to championing open processes. Public service requires an honest dialogue, and I will consistently push back against non-disclosure agreements that shield critical project details and restrict necessary civic oversight.
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
Public oversight is non-negotiable. Government belongs to the people, and policies must ensure that confidentiality agreements are never used to bypass public deliberation or hide critical local impacts. While narrow, legally mandated exceptions exist for proprietary data; NDAs must never muzzle officials or restrict them from executing their public duties. True accountability requires a legislative standard that structurally protects the community’s right to know and guarantees transparent leadership.
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
We cannot manage risk effectively without our own data. While state-level assessments offer valuable insights, Frederick County faces unique infrastructure, environmental, and budgetary pressures that a broader study simply won't capture. Relying on generalized data is a gamble we shouldn't take. A localized, independent cost-benefit analysis is essential to equip us with the precise facts needed to protect our resources, secure our fiscal health, and make informed decisions for our community's future.
How many data centers should be built in Frederick County? Check the answer closest to your position.
As many as allowed inside the original 1,586-acre Critical Digital Infrastructure Overlay Zone proposed by the Planning Commission.
Growth must be deliberate and risk-managed. Doubling the footprint before understanding the cumulative strain on our power grid, water, and resources is irresponsible. The Planning Commission’s original proposal offers a measured, balanced approach. True smart growth means scaling intentionally, verifying resource capacity at every step, and keeping the community's long-term health at the forefront of our decisions. We must robustly protect our infrastructure and agricultural heritage from unchecked 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).
Oversight, transparency, and accountability aren’t obstacles to development. They are the price of admission. Noise limits, water protections, independent monitoring, and full resource disclosure aren’t requests; they are requirements. My focus isn’t banning economic development, but ensuring growth pays for itself. Growth that fails our standards shouldn't happen here. I’m not anti-development; I’m anti-burden. If you cannot protect our neighborhoods, safeguard our environment, and pay your own way, Frederick County isn’t the place for you.
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.
My approach to Frederick County’s future is anchored. Dignity by Design: commitment to structural transparency, government accountability, and community-centered growth. We must reject the false choice between economic advancement and preservation. True smart growth means scaling intentionally, verifying resource capacity at every step, and keeping our long-term health at the forefront of our decisions.
Oversight, transparency, and accountability aren’t obstacles to development; they are the price of admission. Strict noise limits, water protections, independent monitoring, and full resource disclosure are mandatory requirements. I am not anti-development, but I am anti-burden. Growth must pay for itself and never compromise our agricultural heritage, infrastructure, or neighborhoods.
Government belongs to the people! We must establish unbreakable, high-standard regulatory frameworks that protect our local landscape, secure our fiscal health, and ensure that any development forced upon our community adheres strictly to our high standards of sustainability.