Carroll County Zoning Ordinance Criticized for Ineffectiveness Against Data Center Development
A recently published draft zoning ordinance in Carroll County, Maryland, is criticized for being ineffective at curtailing data center development, despite residents' expectations. The ordinance only restricts data centers to industrial zones and requires public hearings, failing to address issues like acreage caps, electrical grid impact studies, or significant water usage limits. This has led to the realization that residents might end up with both zoning and continued data center development.
Carroll County, Maryland's draft zoning ordinance, long anticipated by residents, has been published and is now facing criticism for its perceived ineffectiveness in controlling data center development. The article, titled "False Dichotomy," argues that the ordinance offers only minimal protection, primarily by restricting data centers to industrial zones and requiring conditional use permits through public hearings.
The author highlights several key areas where the zoning ordinance falls short. It does not prevent data centers from entering the county, cap their occupied acreage, or mandate electrical grid impact studies before approval. Furthermore, despite data centers' potential for millions of gallons of daily water consumption, the ordinance makes no provisions regarding water use.
Residents were reportedly presented with a false choice: "Adopt zoning or accept a data center." However, the new draft suggests they may end up with both, as the ordinance lacks specific limits on water use, setbacks, buffers, noise, or size, which could have been included. While the zoning might prevent a data center from being built next to a residential neighborhood, its overall impact on broader data center growth within the county is deemed insignificant.