Charles County Commissioners To Decide Next Step For Data Center Zoning After Second Denial Recommendation

Charles County Commissioners are preparing to address a contentious land-use debate concerning a proposed data center zoning amendment, Zoning Text Amendment No. 25-187, on July 21. This discussion follows a second unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission to reject the amendment as written. The Planning Commission cited ongoing concerns, including the lack of provisions for size limits, decommissioning requirements, socioeconomic studies, community benefit agreements, larger setbacks, and stronger noise restrictions, which they say remain unaddressed from prior reviews.

Concurrently, questions have arisen regarding Commissioner Vice President Ralph Patterson II's involvement with the Data Center Alliance of Maryland steering committee, an industry coalition under the Maryland Tech Council. Residents, during a June 1 public hearing, called for Patterson to recuse himself from future votes on ZTA 25-187, citing potential conflicts of interest due to his unique position as the only elected official on the 20-member committee.

The county's deliberations are also taking place as a statewide study mandated by Maryland law on the environmental, energy, and economic impacts of data center development approaches its September 1 completion date. Several Planning Commission members previously advocated for delaying action on the zoning amendment until this study, which will inform on electricity demand, water use, and other impacts, is released. Other Maryland counties like Frederick, Montgomery, Washington, Prince George's, and Harford have already implemented moratoriums or prohibitions on new data center development to allow for similar studies of potential impacts. The Charles County Commissioners will decide whether to reject, revise, or schedule a public hearing for the proposed amendment.