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County planners propose zoning text amendments; commissioners focus on forest-conservation changes and new data-center conditions
Summary
Staff presented numerous text amendments to Calvert County's zoning ordinance, including forest-conservation changes to align with recent state law and draft conditions for data centers (closed-loop cooling, groundwater prohibition, generator emissions standards). Commissioners asked staff to refine data-center language and scheduled a follow-up work session in two weeks.
Planning staff opened a long work session Feb. 10 to present a package of zoning text amendments (TA 26-series) to address state law changes and issues identified after the ordinance rewrite. The package covers forest-conservation rules, exemptions for county-owned land, accessory-dwelling-unit parking waivers, retail-accessory uses, sign regulations, sidewalks in industrial districts, and specific conditions for data centers.
On forest conservation, staff explained the state law changes require stronger reforestation ratios and expand what counts as priority retention. Staff said the new state-driven approach simplifies ratios by setting a reforestation requirement of 1 acre planted for each acre removed in general cases, with reduced ratios (0.5 or 0.25 acres per acre removed) in limited priority areas or large multifamily developments, and that unforested riparian buffers must be afforested when impacted. Colleen Brumman, the county environmental planner, explained the county's conservation fund is a dedicated fund used to plant trees when on-site mitigation is not feasible.
Commissioners spent substantial time on proposed data-center conditions (closed-loop cooling, prohibition on groundwater wells for cooling, reuse of rooftop stormwater for cooling, and requiring Tier 4-equivalent generator emissions). Multiple commissioners urged caution, noting the technology evolves and that state or federal preemption may limit local restrictions. Staff agreed to return in two weeks with draft alternatives and examples of how the conditions could be implemented without locking the county into quickly outdated technical requirements.
Other amendments include clarifying accessory-dwelling definitions to align with state ADU reforms, adding a retail-accessory use with a 25% net-use cap in specific districts, revising buffer and setback provisions, and restoring several pre-existing town-center flexibility policies. The work session produced no final votes on zoning text amendments; staff will refine language and return to the board.
