Calvert County reviews two dozen zoning text amendments, including new data‑center rules
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Calvert County officials reviewed roughly 23–24 proposed text amendments to the county zoning ordinance on Feb. 10, 2026, covering tree replacement, buffers, solar rules and a new provision limiting wells for closed‑loop cooling at prospective data centers; vote outcomes were not specified in the synopsis.
Unidentified Speaker, host of 'Commissioner's Corner,' said the Department of Planning and Zoning presented roughly 23 or 24 proposed text amendments to the Calvert County Zoning Ordinance on Feb. 10, 2026, covering definition changes and technical standards including tree replacement, buffers and solar-panel rules.
Why it matters: The county adopted a new zoning ordinance March 1, 2025, and made additional text amendments in September 2025. Officials said continuing updates are expected as new issues — including data centers and evolving technologies — arise. The speaker said the volume and variety of changes reflect ongoing adjustments to align local rules with state mandates and technical developments.
Key details: The synopsis described a text amendment concerning potential data-center development that had been taken up earlier (Jan. 28). That amendment would set requirements for future data centers and includes a provision prohibiting drilling wells to cool a data center that uses a closed‑loop cooling system. The host cautioned that data-center technology is changing rapidly and that the county may need to revise any prescriptive rules as technology evolves.
What the record shows: The episode did not list which specific amendments were adopted, nor did it provide vote tallies or motion language for each item. The speaker recommended that interested residents view the meeting video and the text-amendment materials for full particulars.
Next steps: The county’s planning staff and the board are expected to continue considering and refining the ordinance language; interested parties were urged to review the meeting packet and attend future hearings if they wish to comment.
