Frederick County Council approves plan to add new data centers
Frederick County Council approves plan to add data centers
The Frederick County Council has approved a plan to add data centers to the area. FOX 5's David Kaplan has the latest details.
FREDERICK COUNTY, Va. - A plan to pave the way for additional data centers in Frederick County got the green light on Tuesday.
After a contentious process and multiple public hearings, the council signed off on the plan by a 5-2 vote.
What they're saying:
These opportunities for public comment have been emotional on both sides, as some argue for the need to spur economic development, while others have expressed concerns about preserving a way of life, worries about the environment and the potential impact on energy prices.
That debate has played out in the last few years here in Frederick County as data centers have come online.
The plan approved on Tuesday would double the amount of land available to build data centers in the county.
The county does have a law on the books that says a maximum of 1% of the total land in the county can be used for data centers, and this doubling keeps the county under that.
During public comment, there were more speakers opposed to the proposal than for it.
"Rest assured, we will be continuing to mobilize through the coming election cycle to oppose anyone who throws our county under the bus for corporate profits," one resident said.
However, some thanked the council for taking this vote.
"Thank you so much for making the decision that you made this evening. I know it wasn’t easy. I’ve been in your seats, serving the community and I know it’s not easy, but you can’t make everyone happy, but you cannot. It’s not possible," another resident said.
READ MORE: Frederick County Council votes on legislation that would allow data center expansion
Dig deeper:
There was a lot of back and forth about the process, though.
Amendments that were not previously part of public discussion were voted on tonight, namely dealing with the exact map where these data centers could be built and some of the zoning requirements.
Council Member Jeff McKay voted against the proposal and says the residents' voices were ignored, while M.C. Keegen-Ayer who voted for it, says it’s one of the most stringent set of requirements for data centers in the country.
"I think this council is just fixated on the revenue potential. And they're willing to ignore all the rest. You know, all they see are the dollar signs and ignore the human cost of this proposal," said McKay.
Keegan Ayer
"This is the most regulations and toughest regulations and restrictions we've put that any place in this country has put on data center development," Ayer said. "And so, We have listened, we are trying to find a compromise."
A county official told FOX 5 the county has received approximately 55 million dollars in revenues this year from the data center projects they already have in place.