Data Centers

Community Benefits Listening Sessions

County Executive Jessica Fitzwater will hold two listening sessions for members of the public to share their ideas about community benefits associated with data center development in Frederick County.

The community benefits listening sessions will take place on:

  • Wednesday, February 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Winchester Hall, 12 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701
  • Thursday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph on Carrollton Manor, 5843 Manor Woods Rd, Frederick, MD 21703

Learn more about the upcoming sessions, sign up to speak, and submit comments online at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/CommunityBenefits. 

Update on Next Steps (November 12, 2025)

You are invited to participate in the next steps of the process on Frederick County’s proposed Critical Digital Infrastructure (CDI) Overlay Zone. Read below or see the November 12, 2025 press release for more details. 

Workshop
The County Council will hold a workshop on the CDI Overlay Zone on Tuesday, December 2, at 5:30p.m. in the first-floor hearing room at Winchester Hall, located at 12 E. Church Street in Frederick.

Public Hearing
The County Council will hold a public hearing on the Livable Frederick Master Plan and potential changes to the zoning map for the CDI Overlay Zone on Tuesday, December 16, at 5:30p.m. in the first-floor hearing room at Winchester Hall. Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide comments on the comprehensive plan amendment and the CDI Overlay Zone, for a total of up to six minutes per speaker. For more information on participating, please visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Council.

Signage
Signs are being posted on and around properties affected by the CDI Overlay Zone. This includes properties in the existing proposal for the Overlay Zone and properties whose owners have requested rezoning. Signs are being posted along roadways and in areas where people can safely view them.

Individual Notices
Letters are being sent to property owners affected by the CDI Overlay Zone. These letters will provide information about changes that the County Council may consider, including potential changes to the Eastalco Community Growth Area, land use and zoning designations, water and sewer classifications, and the Priority Preservation Area and Rural Legacy Area maps.

Next Steps
After the December 16 public hearing, the County Council can vote to approve, amend, or reject the Planning Commission’s recommendations on the CDI Overlay Zone. The Council is not required to hold any additional hearings if they amend the recommendations.

After the Council finishes its work on the CDI Overlay Zone, the County will hold two community benefit listening sessions – one in Frederick and another in Adamstown. The public will be invited to participate in these sessions to provide suggestions and ideas for community benefits that can be derived from the data center industry. The County Executive will provide additional details about these sessions later in the process.

Critical Digital Infrastructure

Frederick County is a leader in regulation the data center industry. Learn more on the webpage below and by reading this fact sheet. 

A graphic with text that explains how Frederick County is approaching the data center industry.

Overlay Map 

Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater proposed a map on July 7, 2025, that would significantly limit where data centers could be developed within the county. The overlay map is part of a broader effort to regulate data center growth while preserving the community’s quality of life and preventing urban sprawl. 

The County Executive explains the map in this video:


The proposed map limits data center development to approximately 2,500 acres around and including the former Eastalco aluminum plant north of Adamstown. 

Proposal

Introduced as a comprehensive plan amendment, the map is based on three key factors:

  • Data centers should be limited to the area around the Eastalco site, where infrastructure exists to support it.
  • Data center development should be limited to less than 1% of the county's total landmass.
  • For every new acre turned over to data center development, the County should preserve five acres of farmland.

The proposal would keep data centers away from Carroll Manor Elementary School. Related legislation would restrict data centers to at least 500 feet from residential neighborhoods.

View the proposed map that will be considered by the Planning Commission. The map complements legislation being considered by the County Council. Read the full Comprehensive Plan Amendment packet submitted to the Planning Commission.

Steps for the Comprehensive Plan Amendment

  • Planning Commission reviews proposed map (July 16, 2025)
  • Planning Commission meets on the proposed map (July 23, 2025)
  • State of Maryland agencies review proposal for 60 days, beginning July 28, 2025
  • Planning Commission reviews map again and holds a public hearing (October 15, 2025)
  • County Council holds public hearing before voting on the map

More Details

Documents, meetings, and public comments are posted on the County's website. This page will be updated regularly.