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VOL.
4, NO. 11 | November 11, 2025 Frederick City and County News of Interest
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City: Elections
At press time, official results of Frederick’s 2025 Mayoral and City
Council elections have not been finalized. However, it appears that the
Democratic candidate for each office will be victorious by a wide
margin. CRG will explore the plusses, minuses, and challenges of this
outcome in our December newsletter. | |
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City: Just Say NO to Data Centers in the City
On October 23 and November 6, the City’s Land Use, Public Safety, and
Community Development Legislative Committee met and, disappointingly,
City Council President Katie Nash proposed a revision to the Land
Management Code (LMC) to allow data centers in the City. This proposal
appears to go significantly beyond what the County has put forward,
potentially opening City residents to the noise, emissions, stormwater
runoff, children’s public health threats, and hazardous chemicals
(diesel, coolant water biocides, corrosion by-products). Rationale for
this unilateral proposal is unclear and concerning. At present, the LMC
does not allow such use and it’s hard to accept the reasoning behind
introducing a text amendment that details the conditions under which one
can be built.
Nash's proposal opens Pandora’s Box to data center construction and
operations without resolving all the power, water, resident concerns,
property value declines, etc. that have consumed 2+ years of data
center discussions at the County’s Planning Commission and Council.
Residents have been outspoken in their pleas to not follow the poor
examples of community detriments experienced by our Loudoun County, VA
neighbors as well as many, many communities across the U.S. The
ever-popular rationalization of “think of the economic windfall” is
misleading at best as it fails to mention the decrease in property
values, the increase in electric and water bills, and the cost burden
of the needed infrastructure which will fall on the shoulders of current
homeowners.
The incoming City Council, whose term commences December 11,2025, will
need to approve any change to the LMC. CRG’s position is that this
conversation shouldn’t even move forward as, again, data centers are
not allowed in the City. Why go through the efforts of identifying ways
to bring them in, unless there is something CRG and other blindsided
residents are missing? We are confident, though, that if this somehow
moves forward the new legislative body will step up and just say NO —
not in City limits. If for some reason the text amendment is approved
by the current City Council, any future data center projects will not
be revisited by the incoming Council; that responsibility will be
transferred to the City’s Planning Commission (see links below to
documents provided to committee members).
1 Executive Summary Form Data Center Taxes and
Revenue_20251106
2 Data Center Revenue Barkdoll Comment
Note that Adamstown residents have repeatedly emphasized how attractive
the community and surrounding area were to entice residents to move to
the area. With the data center expansion proposed for the Eastalco
site, the area is unappealing now with charm and vistas lost.
Livability has been severely eroded. Do we want the same outcome for
‘livable’ Frederick? We should be concerned that a City impact could
far outreach the immediate neighborhood and affect the community as a
whole.
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City and County: Data center e-waste — a problem
that can’t be ignored
As the County and City contemplate data center development, it’s worth
considering the problem of electronic waste (e-waste) because data
centers produce a lot of it.
A quick look at the available reporting on the subject reveals a large
and growing problem that must be addressed. It is not impossible to
address, but the problem does provide another reason to significantly
slow the building of data centers so solutions can be put in place.
These links provide more information:
Excerpt from a Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) article in
December 2024:
While discussions about data centers’ energy consumption and
environmental impact are widespread, far less attention has been given
to the mounting problem of electronic waste (e-waste) generated by
these facilities. Servers and GPUs, essential to data center
operations, are typically replaced every 2–5 years, producing millions
of tons of outdated equipment — more than 80% of which is discarded. A
recently published Nature study warned that generative AI alone could
contribute an additional 1.2–5 million tons of annual e-waste, posing
serious environmental and health risks globally.
E-waste recycling and handling are poorly regulated, with limited
infrastructure to support circular practices. Privacy and security
concerns often prompt companies to destroy outdated hardware rather
than reuse or recycle it. Addressing this growing issue requires a
better understanding of its scale, societal impacts, and systemic gaps.
________
Let your elected officials know if you’re concerned about this
issue.
City and County: Data centers and state
budgets study: Are tax benefits “smoke and mirrors”?
A recent Baltimore Banner article detailing the growth
of data centers in Maryland included reference to a report by a
nonpartisan nonprofit, Good Jobs First, that is worth reading. Here is
a link to the report, and an excerpt from the Banner article:
https://goodjobsfirst.org/cloudy-with-a-loss-of-spending-control-how-data-centers-are-endangering-state-budgets/
Excerpt:
“Data
centers create tax base without creating a lot of demand for public
services,” said economist Anirban Basu during a business panel
discussion at The Banner’s Impact Maryland event this week.
But the tax benefits might be smoke and mirrors, some say. Most data
centers are awarded tax exemptions on sales taxes in favor of property
taxes. That’s already the case in Maryland.
Good Jobs First, a nonpartisan nonprofit watchdog on tax subsidies and
incentives, found in a report in April that at least 10 of 32 states
with data centers have lost more than $100 million per year in tax
revenue from these facilities. The loss stems from exemptions on sales
and use taxes for some of the necessary and most expensive components
of a data center.
“If Maryland were to exempt sales taxes, but let local governments tax
on property taxes, there’d be a net loss and kind of a shell game within
the state,” said Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First.
________
You can read the full Banner article here: Massive data centers invaded Virginia — and Maryland
wants to be next
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City: Planning Committee Workshop Highlights East
Street Traffic Woes
An 18-unit townhouse complex is planned for 200–220 N. East Street,
site of the former model train museum. The project was a key discussion
item at the PC workshop on October 20. Of interest is the design which,
according to neighbors who spoke in favor of the site plan, seems to
“fit” at least loosely with the form-based code concept for the East
Street corridor. This configuration is a compromise between the initial
proposal — a 5–6 story multi-family structure — and rehabilitation of
the railroad museum complex.
While PC members applauded the project design and placement of the
garages off Austin Alley (adhering to the downtown design guidelines of
no street-facing garages), of concern is entry to the planned garages
off the busy and narrow N. East Street across from Pistarro’s. The
alley is located between 2 traffic lights at east 2nd and 3rd streets.
Imagine trying to turn left from N. East Street opposite Pistarro’s
with southbound East Street traffic behind you and northbound traffic
from a green light at E. 2nd coming at you — a NIGHTMARE! Traffic here
is already congested with traffic slow-to-stopped several times a day
and now this turning need added to the traffic expected from Galleria,
the downtown hotel and conference center, Visitation, and Brickworks —
WOW! Access and egress (according to many who travel this route) would
be far better from E. 3rd Street, which would be unfortunate for
residents of that thoroughfare.
So, while the project itself appears suitable for the neighborhood, it
is a strong example in favor of preventing the City from issuing
construction permits due to likely traffic problems on an
already-overused corridor — and a caution to the City to more keenly
assess each project in relation to the development on surrounding streets
rather than as a unique entity. CRG urges the City Council to adopt and
enforce stronger traffic requirements for our narrow and most-traveled
streets such that any identified obstacles to traffic flow in an area
that will endanger normal and continuous flow patterns, even if slow,
can be used to reject proposed development.
Another proposal for the East Street corridor is likely to add to
traffic woes. On the agenda at the October 20 Planning
Commission meeting was the site plan for Harmon Park (which is proposed
to become part of a 6.9-acre community park). This area expands Harmon
Park as it connects to the existing Brickworks property along the west
side of East Street. Positive features are tennis, pickleball and
basketball courts, a (possible) tot lot, a (possible) dog park, and
walking paths. Parking will be available with access on Winchester
Street (although as some workshop attendees pointed out the parking lot
has other dedicated uses). This expansion of Harmon Park satisfies a
portion of the Brickworks promised green space.
However — and that's a big however — a primary pedestrian access from
the Brickworks to the park is a surface-level crosswalk across East
Street (and north of the traffic circle) with an island between the
north and south traffic lanes — we guess for the folks who are too slow
to cross East Street in a single attempt. The proposed crosswalk will
not have a traffic light but will include flashing lights. What? Aside
from the fact that any pedestrian walkway across East Street is an
accident waiting to happen, many Brickworks residents will be unable to
fast walk across the street while traffic is barreling down on them.
CRG hopes cars and trucks will stop, allowing parents with children
toddling or in strollers, less-mobile adults and others walking slowly
and carefully, etc. to cross safely. We fear this is another traffic
tie up in the making.
City: Brickworks Contaminant Update
On October 29, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) staff
members from its Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) convened a meeting to
outline proposed soil contaminant cleanup plans for lots 4 (grocery,
retail, and parking) and 6 (townhomes, garages) of the Brickworks
property between Monocacy Boulevard and East and South Streets. A
consulting firm (Geo-Technology Associates, Inc.) for the owners
presented a comprehensive overview of historical and recent soil
measurements and indicated most of the areas would be capped or filled
and capped to prevent exposure to soil contaminants from historical
land uses of the property. CRG is pleased with the proposed soil
remedies and takes a few bows: If we had not pressed the City and the
developer for addressing the well-documented contamination over 3 years
ago, the City would have allowed site development without any
remediation, thereby exposing future residents of the property to
contaminants endangering their health for decades.
Now we hope that the new Council will revise the Land Management Code
(LMC) to require brownfield mitigation before any development can occur
(e.g., the Galleria and Train Museum properties) and several CRG
members have received emails from Council members that such a LMC
revision is under Planning Department review and write-up for adoption
by the new Council.
County: Data Center Overlay
As we have reported for the past 18 months, County officials have been
debating the extent of data center development in and around the
2200-acre Eastalco site near Adamstown. In the recent Planning
Commission meeting, the members recommended reduction of the Eastalco
site to approximate 1700 acres but allowed for possible expansion for
two large adjacent farms approximating 550 acres. As a plus for local
residents, twenty-three other properties (homes, St. Joseph’s church,
and an elementary school) were recommended for inclusion in the County
Community Growth Area to ensure access to water and sewer
infrastructure. It remains to be seen what the County Council will
adopt.
There is still no resolution of power nor water supplies to the data
center properties yet the County Executive and Council continue to move
forward, largely with only modest requirements for noise abatement,
emission reductions, neighbor property and well protections, hazard
control plans, reimbursements for property value losses, and stormwater
controls at the centers. CRG STRONGLY suggests that identifying power
and water supply, and treatment following data center use, as well as a
thorough independent review of costs and benefits of data centers be
implemented BEFORE any more data center corporations apply for
construction and operation in the County or its municipalities.
County: Data Center Intrusions
At a special Town Hall meeting (October 20), Council Members Kavonte
Duckett, Mason Carter, and Steve McKay heard Adamstown residents
describe the issues they are having with dust, noise, and traffic
during the construction of the Rowan data centers. Prior to the
meeting, the Council members toured several farms and saw firsthand the
proximity of the data centers to some homes.
County: MPRP Transmission Line (from
StopMPRP)
On October 9, 2025, PSEG Renewable Transmission LLC filed its third
federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of
Maryland. It was confirmed that service of the lawsuit has begun —
property owners named in the complaint are starting to receive legal
papers. If you are among those being served, please accept delivery.
Refusing delivery does not change your status as a respondent.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Citywide
Planning Department Community Outreach Meeting —
November 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM
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See the CRG blog at: responsiblegrowthfrederick.com
Contributors: P. Gallagher, S. Jakubczyk, E. Law, M.
Rosensweig, K. Sellner.
CRG is a grassroots coalition of Frederick residents who prioritize
responsible growth, expanding infrastructure, and a functional natural
environment. We advocate for development that accommodates projected
population increases while fostering a strong and diverse community
fabric and increasing economic opportunities. Our comprehensive
approach emphasizes public safety, traffic mitigation, increasing
school capacity, and housing for all members of our community.
Many Frederick residents want to know — but cannot find —
information about how to participate in discussions of important local
issues. The City and County generally hold meetings from 3–10 p.m.,
making it impossible for most of us to attend meetings or weigh in on
issues of interest. Our mission with this monthly newsletter is to
highlight City and County activities so you can learn more and, with
your limited time, weigh in on areas of growth and development, City
and County policies, and other local activities. Occasionally, opinions
or longer stories will be offered by knowledgeable experts/readers. We
welcome suggestions for articles focused on specific topics. Contact
Kevin Sellner (kgsellner@gmail.com),
Marge Rosensweig (marjorierosensweig@gmail.com),
or Steve Jakubczyk (jakubczyksteven@gmail.com)
for consideration of your issue.
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