Residents Propose Data Center Ballot Measure At Joint Planning Commission Meeting

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Residents packed the room at the April 15 special joint meeting of the Calvert County Planning and Zoning Commission and Environmental Commission, which marked an opportunity for the two groups to share concerns and ask questions that will be used to inform decisions on data center development in the county.

One resident who identified himself as Joseph Oliver grabbed the microphone from the stand and asked the crowd to raise their hands if they wanted a data center, and then asked the crowd to raise their hands if they don’t; the “don’ts” were by far the majority, with only a handful of people raising their hands in support of data centers.

“These people are persistent and will not give up until they find a place that checks all their boxes,” Oliver said. “These things involve everyone in this county, every single resident. I think it would be a great idea to put on the ballot in the next election ‘Do you want a data center or similar facility? Check yes or no.’ Let the people decide, not a board, a handful of people making a decision for everyone else in the county. Let the people who live here make the decision.”

Oliver’s comments received applause from spectators in the room.

However, Calvert County cannot directly ban or discriminate against any particular industry, according to Maryland law. So how this ballot measure would work is unclear; in theory, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) would have to use the results of the ballot measure to inform their decision about voting yes or no on any data center proposals — but those proposals still have to go through permitting and approval processes with the county and state before reaching the BOCC.

Residents also spoke up about their home value near the data center campus, light and noise pollution, water quality, and pressure on the energy grid.

“I spend many nights stargazing, and I’m not willing to lose that,” said Lusby resident Camille Finch. “We should not have to trade our health, environment and the quality of our life for limited economic benefit.”

---