Frederick City and County News of Interest VOL. 5, NO. 5 | May 12, 2026

 

VOL. 5, NO. 5  |  May 12, 2026 Frederick City and County News of Interest Please join our monthly email list by clicking here. Learn more about CRG at the bottom of this newsletter. For quick access, click on a title here and jump to that article, below: Data Center Confusion City: Brickworks Update City: Affordable Housing Update City: 2027 Budget City: Land Management Code (LMC) Review and Revision City-County: Housing Authority County: Investing in Workers and Workplace (IW2) Update County: Sustainable Monocacy Commission Watershed Summit Upcoming Meetings and Events Candidate Forums ______________ Data Center Confusion It has come to our attention that many residents assume that most of the recent decisions on data center zoning and regulations apply to both the County and City. This is incorrect. Currently, data centers are allowed in the County, but not in the City. Here are differences at this point in time:  Only in the County: Recent decisions on an expanded area for data centers to 2,600 acres pertain only to the Eastalco site and some surrounding parcels near Adamstown. Any ‘regulations’ now in place, inadequate as they are for building facades, berms, buffers, proximity to residential development, noise, emissions, monitoring, water use and power, are for data centers now in or to be proposed for the Adamstown area. The Critical Data Infrastructure Overlay Zone referendum recently accepted by the County Board of Elections pertains solely to the County Council’s legislation expanding the allowed construction areas for data centers from the Eastalco site to the surrounding parcels; it has NO legal bearing or relevance for Frederick City. For the City: Data centers are not allowed in the City currently; they are not described as an acceptable land use in the Land Management Code. There are NO data centers nor applications for centers in City limits at this time. A data center developer (Trammell-Crow) has now begun the process to seek adoption of a text amendment to the City’s Land Management Code to allow data centers within City boundaries. That amendment is working its way through the City Planning Department and could then move on to the City Planning Commission and City Council for possible adoption. Only after a supportive City Council decision could a developer submit an application for appropriate zoning and then construction and operation of a data center. Should the City Council permit urban data centers, City officials, staff, and residents would then establish/mandate City-specific regulations for these new urban industries. City: Brickworks Update On April 20, Greenberg-Gibbons representatives notified the City Planning Commission (PC) of their intent for 2 buildings on Lot 4. One building, just south of the new Brickworks Avenue that bisects the large property, is now proposed as a white, 2-story Club Studio, a boutique gym and exercise center. A second building located just north of Monocacy Blvd. is a retail complex, again white and apparently 1 story. The PC members raised concerns on requested window modifications for the former, while a CRG member recommended changing the white facades of the 2 building complexes to be more consistent with the red brick character of the adjacent historic district buildings — the Brickworks is the gateway to our City-identifying architecture, including facades and designs. City: Affordable Housing Update The City receives federal funds through Community Development Block Grants which are distributed to various organizations to provide affordable housing (AH) to local residents. Habitat for Humanity is the recipient of the largest grant, at $300K with 3 other organizations splitting approximately $160K. In a separate commitment through the 2023–24-adopted Rental Licensing Agreement, the City is designing a program to distribute approximately $620K for rental assistance and AH preservation, after deducting $250K for administration of the $921,106 it amassed from 2 years of collections from landlords of private properties. Although the $413,000 for FY26 projects will provide substantial benefits for our neediest community members, CRG is concerned at the high administrative costs for City administration of only 10–11 projects, exceeding 20% of the collected rental licensing fees. Other communities (e.g., MoCo) allow only 1–2% administrative cost recovery for overseeing 20–25 projects. Additionally, organizations receiving grants from the collected fees also charge administrative fees, meaning large portions of these limited funds don’t provide assistance or AH to residents, but cover salaries of staffs in the City and the recipient organization. Might there be a better way to ensure collected fees provide housing or services rather than salaries? Perhaps City staff salaries could be covered through general revenues (property taxes, recordation, impact fees) so more of all fees dedicated to AH could provide rental assistance or preserve/increase actual housing. We hope the City Council has several options in its ongoing AH deliberations. City: 2027 Budget The City Council has just announced a schedule for its deliberations on the City's 2027 Budget. A City Council Discussion of Priorities will occur on May 13, the mayor's final budget on May 14, a May 21 final budget and tax rate discussion, and adoption of the Final Budget on May 28. These are the only times residents can influence the City's budget for 2027, which begins July 1, so please either attend these meetings or provide e-comments on priorities for potential collection and allocation of public funds for critical City needs! City: Land Management Code (LMC) Review and Revision Long in need of revision, the regulations that define all activities allowed within the City limits are now in initial stages of an overall review. On May 11, the City's Public Works Committee discussed potential changes to the LMC to best align its content and requirements with the 2020 Comprehensive Plan. These first discussions identified key parts of the process from resident Listening Sessions, development and submission of a Project Plan, hiring and role of a project manager/consultant, membership, and duration. As THE MOST IMPORTANT set of rules for the City, CRG STRONGLY encourages resident participation in — at a minimum — the Listening Sessions and if deeply concerned and knowledgeable, seeking membership on the LMC Review Commission or attending and providing comment throughout the review. Additional meetings will be scheduled, so be prepared to step up and weigh in. Without participation, there can be no complaining about future City procedures. City-County: Housing Authority Angie Lollar, director of the Housing Authority (HA), presented a summary of the organization’s progress in providing affordable housing in the area. The HA has provided about 500 housing units in the last several years, aiming to provide some units for those earning 30% or less of the Average Median Income. These include Catoctin View, Foundry, Mosaic (formerly Lucas Village), and under construction, Madison on Market; a previous project was the North Point development at W. 7th and Bentz. The City donated land and around $1.8M for two of these projects, thereby easing some of the financial burden for housing construction. Housing was made possible through the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, as well as a voucher program. The Housing Authority maintains a list of residents seeking housing, now at 4,000; without more units, the list has been closed. CRG looks forward to learning more about the possibilities from the Housing Authority, advocating where possible for continued fiscal and donated land support. County: Investing in Workers and Workplace (IW2) Update The County Planning Commission (PC) continued (April 8, 15) to review and provide comment on the County’s IW2 plan. At the most recent meeting, following substantial local resident requests, PC members asked planning staff to reduce potential rezoning acreage (from the proposed 1,935 acres of primarily agriculturally-zoned land to primarily light industrial (LI) or general industrial (GI) in the Jefferson Pike area. https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/economy_and_business/employment/planning-commission-considers-reduced-version-of-industrial-zone-expansion/article_8c210461-a596-5b7d-ab17-48bc86b6377b.html). Planning staff will revise the proposed rezoning areas for future PC meetings; LI- or GI-zoned land could be developed for data centers, a major concern for local residents of the area.  County: Sustainable Monocacy Commission Watershed Summit In the first annual Watershed Summit on April 25, multiple topics were covered that impact watersheds throughout the region. Historical, current, and future threats in regional watersheds were identified and discussed by the approximately 40 participants, including salt accumulation jeopardizing local waterways and drinking water; tire removal in several basins in the area; and Carroll County stormwater management, creek rehabilitations, and tree planting. An enlightening outcome was Carroll County's progressive approach to protecting local lands, buffers, floodplains, and creeks from stormwater runoff by vastly exceeding MDE requirements for stormwater protections from waters 1 inch above an impervious surface to 2-2.5 inches, thereby better coping with the erosive impacts of the very intense rainfalls and runoff typical of our new climate. CRG applauds this ‘high bar’ to protect Carroll County’s natural resources and encourages Frederick County and City to adopt similar requirements! Upcoming Meetings and Events Public Budget Workshop, May 13, 6 PM, City Hall Boardroom, 101 N Court Street: Follow-up and general discussion of the City budget City Historic Preservation Commission, May 14, 6 PM, City Annex, 140 W. Patrick Street: 111 E. 7th Street Single Room Occupancy Civicon Event, May 27, 6:30 PM, Hood College Campus | Whitaker Campus Center, Commons: The View from Baltimore: What We Can Learn from Our Historically Linked Cities. The focus will be on how design can best shape Frederick's rapid growth. Tim Keane, Baltimore's acting Commissioner of Housing and Community Development / Ren Southard, Baltimore’s acting Planning Director / Klaus Philipsen, a long-time Baltimore observer, commentator, and activist. Candidate Forums Sheriff Candidate Forum, by NAACP, Tuesday, May 12, 7 PM–9 PM, C. Burr Artz Library, 101 E. Patrick Street, Frederick: Karl Bickel, Jason Ciemielewski, Chuck Jenkins, Tony Lawson County Council District 1 Candidate Forum, Monday, May 18, 6:30 PM–7:30 PM, Middletown Library, 31 E. Green Street, Middletown: Jenn Alcorn, Louisa Conklin, Eric Smothers Congressional District 6 and County Council District 3 Discussion, by CRG, May 20, 6 PM–7:30 PM, 8 W. 5th Street, Frederick: Alexis Goldstein, Natasha Valencia  County Council District 1 Candidate Forum, League of Women Voters, Tuesday, May 26, 5:30 PM–7:30 PM, In Person, Richland Golf Club, 50 Glenbrook Drive, Middletown: Jenn Alcorn, Louisa Conklin, Eric Smothers, Frank Hollewa Democractic House of Delegates, District 4 Candidate Forum, Wednesday, May 27, 6:30 PM–7:30 PM, Walkersville Auxiliary Building, 79 W Frederick Street, Walkersville: Jerry Donald, Andrew Duck, Paul Gilligan, Alleria Stanley Contributors: P. Gallagher, S. Jakubczyk, K. Sellner

Please join the Citizens for Responsible Growth monthly email list by clicking here. See the CRG blog at: responsiblegrowthfrederick.com 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. Check out our Facebook page! Find us on Instagram Reply to the email authors