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Frederick County residents press commission over data‑center fact sheet as staff outlines risks and safeguards
Summary
At a packed Jan. 7 Planning Commission meeting residents voiced concerns about water use, power demand, noise, and community character in response to a staff 'data center fact sheet.' Planning staff recommended tools for mitigation and the commission voted to ask the Board of Supervisors for a formal county policy and technology land‑use areas.
Planning staff presented a 22‑page data center fact sheet Jan. 7 to the Frederick County Planning Commission, prompting more than two hours of public comment from residents who warned that large data facilities could strain water and power systems and alter the county’s rural character.
White Pearson, the county’s planning director, summarized research sources including the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) and regional reports, and described differences among hyperscale campuses and smaller colo facilities. Pearson said county code already requires a rezoning or conditional use permit for data centers and that staff had framed the fact sheet as an informational, “tip‑of‑the‑iceberg” review of typical impacts:…
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