PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Amazon Web Services (AWS) has officially filed a site plan for a data center in Calvert County called the Calvert Technology Center.
The Calvert County government confirmed in an email to The BayNet that the county government received a site plan application and paid the associated fees. AWS submitted the initial application on May 4, application fees were paid May 18, and Environmental Health fees were paid May 26.
The next step is the review of the Concept Site Plan, which will be conducted by county government departments and other reviewing agencies. Residents can learn more about the commercial zoning process here.
According to the email from Planning & Zoning, the notification “is being provided for transparency purposes only and is not part of the formal development review process. The intent is to keep the public informed as information becomes available.”
The AWS application was brought up at previous Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meetings and Planning Commission meetings. Director of Planning and Zoning Jason Brinkley confirmed as early as April 15 that AWS had submitted documents to the Maryland Department of the Environment, but didn’t have access to the documents or know the level of environmental review that had been triggered at that point.
The site plan application comes as Calvert County residents continue their pushback against data centers in Calvert County and controversy surrounding the agreements with data center companies. There were also two failed attempts by County Commissioners Mike Hart and Catherine Grasso to place a temporary moratorium on all data center development, and a May 5 vote to force data centers to adhere to updated text amendments until the point construction starts to avoid them being “grandfathered in” on old regulations.
Residents should follow Planning & Zoning and the Data Center FAQ for updated information about the process.
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We need to fire our county commissioners!
Every politician has a price.
Very few in Calvert want a data center. This much is certain but I think there is a bigger picture that might be overlooked. The real question is can Calvert stem development in general? Can it maintain with upgrading current developed areas without expansion. I for one wish that to be the case and I know many others agree. I strongly believe that we need commissioners who think on this same wavelength if we want to hold on to what makes Calvert special. The truth is that if development into new spaces is inevitable, and we have no choice but to grow, a tucked away data center would be more desirable to me than an apartment complex or strip center. My biggest concern is when does it stop? If data center(s) are added, does that mean we don’t have to continue developing our county into a place we no longer can be proud of? Some of our county leadership’s intentions are very murky on this.
Yup time to move
Our commissioners have a duty to explore options that are best for the county and its residents. The faux outrage over exploration of those options is childish. Where is the outrage of the Prince Frederick traffic, the empty shopping centers, the raise in the property taxes, the higher gas prices in Calvert. That’s why change is needed.
Time to audit county commissioners , I’d say there have been some large amounts of money recently wired to their bank account
These people need to be removed with force and extreme prejudice. Dirty money is the only thing they care about and they will burn in hell for there crimes against humanity.
I cannot describe the disappointment, disgust, and frustration I have for these commissioners. Talk about a betrayal to the people they were elected to represent. They’re pure evil. They should all be in prison at the LEAST.
I understand that the commissioners need to take seriously offers for business/technologies that will benefit the population, boost economies, and encourage tourism. That said, if your constituents don’t want a business, and have been vocal about not wanting it, you really should listen to your constituents. If we continue to see rising energy costs due to foreign conflict and data centers you can bet people are going to start voting and acting differently.