Prince George’s County task force approves data-center report after strong community opposition and debate over zoning

The Qualified Data Center Task Force voted to approve its final report recommending that Prince George’s County require special-exception or planned-development review for so-called qualified data centers, after members and staff described intensive public opposition and debated technical, environmental and workforce issues.

James Hunt, deputy planning director for Prince George’s County, told the task force the consultant team had gathered extensive public input and organized task force comments by a green/yellow/red system that shows which suggestions were incorporated, which require further analysis and which need task force direction. "We have our consultant team, the Gensler consultant group," Hunt said while introducing the draft study and the staff response to comments.

The draft report summarizes four public meetings and a large community meeting in Landover on Oct. 25. Hadar, a Gensler consultant presenting the community meeting results, said the Oct. 25 event ran 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with "over 450 attendees" and that the most frequent comment was that "participants ... do not want data centers in Prince George's County at all," with water and energy concerns the…