Title
AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING USE REGULATIONS - QUALIFIED DATA CENTERS for the purpose of prohibiting the authority in the Zoning Ordinance to utilize the prior Ordinance for Qualified Data Center uses, under certain circumstances, thereby establishing a single review process under the Zoning Ordinance for Qualified Data Center uses; repealing the exemption from detailed site plan review for qualified data centers; and making a technical correction.
Background
This bill removes the exemption from detailed site plan (DSP) review for proposed qualified data center uses. By way of CB-001-2021, the District Council added qualified data centers to the list of available uses in Prince George’s County, a measure which followed the 2020 passage of a County tax exemption to attract more data center projects to the County. To further incentivize the development of such projects, the County exempted data center applications from detailed site plan review, thereby shortening the time for development approval.
However, in response to a growing desire for more public scrutiny of such projects, this bill removes that exemption. If enacted, data center development applications will be subject to more public input by way of required pre-application neighborhood meetings and public hearing before the Planning Board. Additionally, data center applications may be subject to a public hearing before the District Council, by its own election or on appeal from the applicant or an aggrieved person.