Councilman Marks: Extending the moratorium on data centers
Baltimore County has a moratorium on new data centers, with a Planning Board report recommending conditional approvals if the pause is lifted. Councilman Marks is advocating for an extension of the current moratorium to allow for more public input and for the newly elected County Council to provide their insights before any decisions are finalized.
Baltimore County currently has a moratorium on new data centers, following the unanimous support by the Baltimore County Council for Bill No. 3-26, which paused development until the Planning Board issues a final report, anticipated in September 2026.
A draft of this report, released on July 16, suggests that if the moratorium is eventually lifted, future approvals for data centers should be conditional rather than by-right. It recommends limiting hyperscale facilities to industrial zones and keeping them distant from residential neighborhoods and agricultural lands. Additionally, the report proposes setbacks from homes, schools, parks, and day-care centers, and emphasizes the importance of developers providing community benefits and covering infrastructure costs.
Councilman Marks argues that extending the current moratorium is essential to facilitate broader public input and to address the complex issues surrounding data centers, which include taxes, regulation, and energy consumption. He highlights the need for a bipartisan approach and believes an extension until the newly elected County Council takes office in December will ensure decisions reflect the community's most current and representative voices.