In this Newsletter:

• Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA)

• Investing in Workers and Workplaces (IW2)

• Data Center Briefing

Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA)

County Executive Fitzwater announced her support for a development rights and responsibilities agreement with Catellus, developer of the Quantum Frederick data center complex in Adamstown, which, if enacted, would prevent future county councils from reversing the data-center friendly policies enacted by the current county council under Fitzwater. Though it is billed as a community benefit agreement in the county’s releases, it is actually labeled as a development rights and responsibilities agreement, meaning these are not community benefits but conditioned on continued development. This, of course, flies in the face of the moratorium she previously announced, since it would allow Catellus to develop without county approval of further site plans. The county is accepting public comments through a form until September 10th. No public hearing dates have been announced.

What you can do: Submit comment through the form before September 10th and be prepared to show up once a public hearing date is announced.

Investing in Workers and Workplaces (IW2)

On Tuesday, the majority of nearly 60 speakers spoke out to oppose the IW2 plan. The county council has scheduled discussion of the public hearing comments and possible amendments of the planning comission recommended plan for Tuesday, September 15th.

What you can do: Attend the council meeting at Winchester Hall (12 East Church Street) on Tuesday September 15th at 5:30 PM to show opposition to the plan.

Data Center Briefing

The county is running one more data center briefing from 6 to 8 PM Sept. 9 at the Urbana Volunteer Fire Department banquet hall at 3602 Urbana Pike (Route 355).. The meeting format has not been clearly specified, but will likely mirror the September 2 data center briefing where stations were set up for county staff to pass along talking points to attendees.

What you can do: This ‘briefing’ is another opportunity to show up and show opposition for these data centers.