Commissioners Pull Data Center Plan, Weigh Task Force -
Charles County commissioners have halted a contentious data center zoning proposal (ZTA 25-187) after nearly a year of significant public opposition. The decision effectively keeps data centers as a non-permitted use in the county, with officials now planning to establish a task force and engage an outside consultant to restart the process.
Charles County commissioners have decided to abandon a controversial data center zoning proposal, Zoning Text Amendment 25-187, following extensive public pushback. The amendment, which would have permitted data centers in certain industrial zones, was pulled during the board's July 21 meeting.
The decision comes after the Charles County Planning Commission twice recommended against the amendment, most recently after a June 1 public hearing where residents voiced strong concerns about noise, water use, farmland loss, and community impacts. Opponents actively chanted "no data centers" during the hearing.
For now, data centers remain a non-permitted use in Charles County. The commissioners will now work on establishing a task force and securing an outside consultant to guide future public outreach and technical analysis related to data center development. Any future zoning changes would require an entirely new legislative process.