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Prince George’s County task force outlines 14 policy principles and four data‑center typologies
Summary
Acting planning director James Hunt summarized a task‑force report (CR16205) based on community engagement and comparative study; recommendations include overlay/planning‑unit development, energy‑use surcharges, setbacks, and public‑benefit conditions for large facilities.
James Hunt, acting director of planning for Prince George’s County, presented findings and policy recommendations from a county task force formed under County Council resolution CR16205.
Hunt said the county convened roughly seven monthly meetings, retained a consultant (Gendler), and staged broad community engagement—including three geographically distributed meetings and a large October public event with about 465 attendees—to collect more than 2,000 comments. Environmental impact emerged as the top community priority.
"We approved a resolution CR16205 to develop a task force that allowed us to do a lot of research and analysis when it came to data centers," Hunt told attendees, describing the task force membership, comparative case studies and the consultant's role.
Key recommendations: Hunt summarized about 14 principles the county will consider. Major recommendations include creating overlay or planning‑unit development zones to concentrate and better regulate data centers; imposing higher environmental standards rather than minimums; adopting energy‑use surcharges for exceptionally large facilities; establishing setbacks (Hunt cited examples such as 300–500 foot buffers used in other jurisdictions); ensuring transparent public‑hearing processes for special protections; and maximizing public‑benefit agreements to offset infrastructure impacts.
Typologies and zoning: Hunt described four typologies—edge facilities embedded in office buildings, compact existing facilities, corporate facilities, and massive campus facilities—each carrying distinct zoning, bulk and design implications. He said the county will tailor permitted locations and standards to typology.
Community engagement and next steps: Hunt emphasized thorough documentation and transparency: the consultant photographed meetings and compiled comment analyses to make every public comment visible in the record. He said the county expects to translate the task‑force recommendations into zoning and regulatory direction in the coming months and invited follow‑up questions and comments.
No formal vote was recorded during the presentation; Hunt said staff will distribute the task‑force report and continue public engagement as county leaders consider moratoria, zoning changes, or other measures.
