Prince George's County Council endorses data-center task force recommendations, backs executive order pausing permits

The Prince George's County Council on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, voted 8-0 to adopt resolution CR98 (draft 2), endorsing the qualified data center task force recommendations and supporting County Executive Ayesha M. Braveboy’s executive order pausing permitting associated with data center construction while the council and planning board develop comprehensive zoning and building provisions.

The resolution, introduced as draft 2, removes direct references to building and grading permits from the council’s text and explicitly cites the executive order as the measure pausing those permits. The resolution directs the council to collaborate with the planning board and to work toward comprehensive implementing legislation and regulations within 180 days of adoption.

Staff gave an overview of the draft before floor action. A county staff member, Mr. Irvin, told the council that “this bill would temporarily pause review and approval of preliminary plans and subdivision, which proposed the development of data centers to allow the county council to develop and consider, comprehensive legislation on zoning, siding, and construction of new data centers.” The drafted amendment removed repeated references to building and grading permits on the grounds that the executive order already addresses permitting and added legislative-history language about prior data‑center zoning bills.

Public comment preceded the council debate. Taylor Frazier, a Landover resident who said she has more than 20,000 signatures on a petition opposing a data center at the Landover Mall site, told the council: “my position on change.org to stop the data center from being built at Landover Mall site is at over 20,000 signatures currently. And I truly appreciate all the council members who've been working behind the scenes to help us in our fight against the data center.”

Sponsors and backers on the floor described the vote as intended to preserve the task force process while the county considers technical and safety standards. Council member Begay said the council wanted “to preserve our task force” and stressed that the panel “does not make any decisions on any actual data center project.” Council member Adam Stafford thanked colleagues and the county executive for listening to constituents, saying she appreciated “your willingness to work collaboratively.”

The council voted on draft 2, with a motion to approve moved on the floor and seconded; the final adoption was recorded as 8-0 in favor. The resolution also corrects a prior bill reference to CB0012021 and records that a 2024 amendment (CB15 2024, amendment 5) allowing a qualified data center use in an agricultural zone was stricken by the circuit court of Prince George’s County for violating section 20-7-35.01D of the zoning ordinance.

The council and staff said the next step is collaborative work with the planning board to produce detailed legislative language and implementing regulations within the 180‑day window specified in the adopted resolution. No specific changes to existing permits or project approvals were described in the council text beyond the support for the executive order and the timeline for drafting additional regulation.