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Residents urge Carroll County to ban data centers, praise 100-day moratorium
Summary
Residents used the public-comment period to urge Carroll County commissioners to pursue a ban on data centers, praised a 100-day moratorium, and called for regional coordination to protect farmland, water and rural character.
Dozens of residents urged the Carroll County Board of Commissioners to pursue an outright ban on commercial data centers and praised what speakers described as a county 100-day moratorium on new data-center projects.
"I want to start just by applauding you all for the 100-day moratorium," said Gabe Eisen of 381 Harrison Road, who described organizing with neighbors and cited a nearby city that recently changed zoning to bar data centers.
Speakers across the public-comment period said data centers threaten agricultural land, local water supplies and the county’s rural identity. Paul Feather, a farmer of about 20 years, said existing zoning and conservation status have not always prevented such projects elsewhere and urged a public, town‑hall style process so elected officials act with a clear public mandate. "We need to be stewards of the environment ... this is more important than money," he said.
Other residents raised regional concerns. Ellen Feather urged Carroll County to assist surrounding jurisdictions with legal challenges to proposed data centers, and Hayward Stober, a geographer who works on a family farm, urged "fact-based decisions" and said large corporations seek to use local land, water and electricity for computing operations.
Chair Michelle Morgan closed the public-comment period after the last speaker; no board action on a ban or amendment to the moratorium was taken during the meeting. The commission then proceeded to its zoning agenda. Residents asked the board to keep data-center policy on the commission’s near-term agenda and to use public formats that permit two-way dialogue.
The remarks came during the meeting’s public-comment period; speakers were limited to three minutes each. The meeting record shows no formal proposal or vote regarding data-center bans during this session.
