Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents demand pause on data centers; commissioners agree to advertise public hearing on moratorium
Summary
More than three hours of public comment at the July 7 Calvert County commissioners meeting focused on proposed data center development, with speakers citing environmental, traffic and emergency-evacuation concerns and urging a moratorium; commissioners directed staff to advertise a public hearing to consider a six-month moratorium, to be placed on the July 21 agenda for notice and further action.
Hundreds of residents and organized groups filled nearly the entire public comment period at the July 7 Calvert County Board of County Commissioners meeting to urge the board to pause or ban proposed data center projects on land near the Calvert Cliffs property.
Jo Marie Koster, speaking in her individual capacity, cited media reporting and other county actions and called for "a clean a complete stop to any further discussion" of data center proposals until residents have been heard. Andrew Fuhrman, representing Calvert Citizens for Student Safety and Responsible Development, raised technical public-safety concerns about evacuation modeling and bridge capacity and warned commissioners not to "issue I 2 permits in Lusby" until federal and state emergency-route issues are addressed.
Speakers from organized groups said petitions with thousands of signatures supported a moratorium. Pam Warner of Indivisible, Calvert County said petition totals had risen and urged commissioners to direct staff to move quickly to advertise moratorium language and obtain environmental studies, while other speakers singled out potential air-quality, water-use and noise impacts tied to backup diesel generators and intensive power and water demands.
Several commenters raised questions about transparency, potential conflicts of interest and the timing of text amendments and site-plan reviews. A number of speakers named Constellation (owner/operator of Calvert Cliffs) and expressed distrust about private negotiations and late public notice; one speaker provided an internal Constellation email excerpt describing a postponed presentation.
In commissioner comments that followed public testimony, Commissioner Hart moved and the board directed staff to place the data center/moratorium discussion on the July 21 agenda and to advertise a public hearing. County staff advised the board that two weeks of public advertising are required to schedule a hearing. Commissioners debated whether to seek a moratorium or a straight ban but agreed to follow the formal, noticed process so the public can participate.
What happens next: Staff will advertise for a public hearing (two-week notice required) and the board will consider the moratorium or other actions at subsequent public meetings beginning July 21; members of the public may provide additional testimony during that noticed hearing.
