The Caroline County Planning Commission voted Nov. 20 to authorize initiation of broader zoning ordinance amendments related to communication facilities after staff said the current local rules were out of conformance with state code.

County Attorney (identified in the record) advised that a motion to initiate must state it is “in furtherance of the general health, safety, welfare, and good zoning practice.” Commissioners adopted such a motion and directed staff to proceed with drafting the amendments.

Commissioners then asked for an update on multiple data‑center projects in the county. Planning staff reported that an AWS site has broken ground and that a Bullard Church Road (Bull Church) site held a groundbreaking the same day; other projects (identified in the meeting as Clean Ark/Cleanark, Matan, and additional Clean Ark sites) have either pulled permits, have site plans under review, or are preparing to begin construction. Staff said the county has several data‑center campuses in the pipeline and described the practical status for each site.

Staff also summarized setback approaches in nearby counties and the county’s own standards. “Stafford added [a] 1,000‑foot setback, and then Spotsylvania added a 750‑foot setback,” Hughes said, and staff confirmed Caroline County currently applies a 100‑foot standard with a 40‑foot undisturbed perimeter in its PERT ordinance; Hughes added that data centers are no longer a by‑right use and must proceed through a special‑exception process that allows the county to impose conditions on approvals.

Several commissioners asked for copies of surrounding counties’ ordinances for comparison and for a periodic status update on approved projects, including which sites have pulled permits and when construction is expected to start. Staff said they would provide that information.

The commission did not adopt new setback distances at the Nov. 20 meeting; it authorized initiation of communication‑facility amendments and requested additional information on the data‑center pipeline.