800 Acres Near Nuclear Plant at Center of Zoning Fight
Residents in Calvert County, Maryland, are fighting a 2025 rezoning of 800 acres to heavy industrial, alleging it was done illegally to benefit Constellation Energy for a potential hyperscale data center. The Board of County Commissioners is now considering options, including reversing the rezoning, extending a data center moratorium, and removing data centers as a permitted use. A formal vote by the incoming Board is pending.
Residents of Calvert County, Maryland, are embroiled in a significant zoning dispute concerning nearly 800 acres of land adjacent to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. The controversy centers on allegations by residents, including Nancy and Carl Elwine, that the land was "quietly rezoned" to heavy industrial in 2025 without proper public notification. They claim this change was orchestrated by Constellation Energy, which owns the property, to facilitate the clear-cutting of up to 85% of the forest for hyperscale data center development. Carl Elwine specifically cited a letter he obtained via a public information request, purportedly from a Constellation vice president, as evidence that the rezoning was added to the 2025 comprehensive plan at the company's request and not made public.
During a September 22 Board of County Commissioners meeting, residents voiced strong opposition, accusing Constellation of ignoring due process. In response to the outcry, the commissioners directed staff to explore new restrictions on data centers before the current board's term concludes in December. Three options are being considered: reversing the controversial 2025 rezoning to restore the land's previous forest-and-farming designation, extending the county's existing data center moratorium, and removing data centers as a permitted zoning use entirely.
While some commissioners expressed reservations about a broad rezoning reversal, noting Constellation's other potential plans for power generation expansion, others believe that extending the moratorium or removing data centers as a permitted use would independently block development regardless of the rezoning's fate. Commissioner candidates also weighed in, with Judy Peterson emphasizing the need to rebuild trust between the county and residents due to insufficient communication on major land-use decisions. Conversely, Patti Stuckler advised gathering direct information from Constellation before making a reversal. A formal vote on these measures is anticipated from the incoming Board of County Commissioners, set to be sworn in on December 15.