Montgomery County holds forum on data center development and proposed zoning standards

County Executive Mark Eldridge and council leaders convened a community forum Tuesday evening at the Ike Leggett Executive Office Building in Rockville to gather public feedback on draft legislative and policy recommendations for data center development, including a proposed zoning measure that would set siting standards, buffers, noise controls and environmental protections.

The forum brought together county officials and residents to outline proposed standards and hear concerns about potential impacts on water, air and adjacent residential areas. "This is not meant to be the draft of a bill," an organizer said, describing the materials as the start of a council discussion intended to surface questions and options. County leaders stressed the process will be consultative: "We just wanna make sure that Montgomery County does it right," one speaker said, and another added, "We're not rushing this process."

County Executive Mark Eldridge presented the draft recommendations and the session included remarks identifying Council President Natalie Fanny Gonzales, Vice President Marilyn Balcom and Council Member Lorien Sales as participating leaders. The transcript indicates the county has introduced a zoning measure intended to establish clear standards for data center projects; the materials referenced buffer requirements near residential areas, noise mitigation and environmental protections. An unidentified attendee described a "zoning tax amendment" put forward with two colleagues that aims to define where data centers may be sited within land-use law.

Speakers at the forum also said they have met with prospective owners and builders to discuss projected jobs and raised concerns about potential impacts on water resources and air quality. Organizers encouraged continued written input and provided instructions for residents to sign up to testify at a public hearing scheduled for Feb. 24 via the county website shown at the meeting.

The forum was framed as an early step in a larger policy process rather than a final decision; no votes or formal actions were recorded at the meeting. Reporting in Rockville: Marcela Rodriguez Villagran.