Planning Commission Sends Data Center Text Amendment Suggestions, Flagging "Grandfathering" Practice For Development Rules

The Calvert County Planning Commission, at the request of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), met on April 21 to review proposed text amendments related to data center development. Commissioners submitted written comments emphasizing the need for larger land and tree buffers, lower decibel limits for noise, and requirements for measuring and containing infrasound. Planning Commission member Chris Gadway questioned the process for comments, noting that the commission's input was sought after initial text amendments were adopted. Associate County Attorney John Mattingly Jr. clarified that the BOCC was seeking expert input rather than formal participation at this stage. Gadway and fellow commissioner David Bury raised concerns about data center projects being "grandfathered in" under older, less stringent regulations. To address this, the Planning Commission voted to recommend that data centers only be allowed to adhere to regulations in place at the start of construction. Overall, the Planning Commission advocated for more stringent building and operational restrictions for data centers, including decommissioning plans, construction traffic mitigation, and daily noise guidelines. They instructed staff to draft revised versions of the text amendments incorporating these recommendations.