Sugarloaf Alliance

November 26, 2025

To: Frederick County Council

 

Dear Council Members:

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At the Council meeting on November 4, 2025, the schedule for your work on the Critical Digital Infrastructure Overly plan was disclosed. Meetings related to the CDI Overlay will happen in quick succession over the month of December. A week later the County Executive provided additional context for the schedule. The press release stated that the process will be “inclusive” and “collaborative.” Council President Young added, “The upcoming workshop and hearing will give residents another opportunity to participate in this planning process.”

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In reviewing the proposed schedule, we are concerned that the process will not live up to the County Executive’s and Council President’s assurances. December is already a difficult month for families with school exams, holidays, and travel. Holding these important meetings during the holiday season, with the key amendments session and final vote in late December, inherently suppresses public engagement. To facilitate and foster public participation we have three suggestions.

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First, we call on all Council Members to make their expected amendments public before the public hearing. As the process now stands, amendment to the Overlay plan area could be published after the public hearing and immediately before the actual vote. It is an affront to the public process to disclose amendments and vote on them without an opportunity for public input on the actual text to be considered. Constraining public comment to generalities and statements about theoretical amendments is not in keeping with an open and transparent legislative process.

 

Next, we feel that there should be at least a two-week separation between the public hearing on December 16, and the amendments and final vote meeting. If the Council truly values public input, there should be time available to turn those comments into amendments. As currently scheduled, a Council Member wishing to act on information provided at the public hearing will have just two working days to draft an amendment and have it reviewed by planning and legal staff. Intentional or not, this highly truncated window implies that Council Members do not expect, or do not intend, to act on anything they learn at the public hearing. This is a highly corrosive message to send to the public.

 

Finally, we are deeply concerned that the November 12 press release from the County Executive states, “The Council is not required to hold any additional hearings if they amend the [Planning Commission] recommendations.” A second public hearing is required for amended bills, and it is well within the discretion of the Council President to do the same for a resolution and an ordinance of this importance. Residents should be allowed to comment on the actual final plan, not just theoretical versions of possible plans. The overlay is highly impactful and has generated such widespread worry that the public are expecting to know full details and be afforded full engagement before any decision is taken.

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The Council has ample time available to complete its work on the CDI overlay plan. Rushing the legislative process is unnecessary and ill-advised. A plan with this level of public interest and concern should not be pushed through just two days before Christmas.

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We look forward to hearing your comments on enhancing public participation in the CDI Overlay plan process.

 

Signed in the public interest,

Sugarloaf Alliance,
Envision Frederick County,
The Tri-County Coalition,
Citizens for Responsible Growth,
Cleanwater Linganore,
Potomac Riverkeepers,
Climate Change Working Group of Frederick County,

Plant the Light,
Fellowship of Scientists and Engineers,
Sierra Club Catoctin Group, and
Montgomery Countryside Alliance

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cc: Frederick County Executive

Frederick County Planning Commission

Frederick News-Post

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