Our Environment and Our Future

Our environment is a finite resource which must be responsibly stewarded for the benefit of future generations. Part of our duty is to evaluate concerns from an objective standpoint based on verifiable facts and outcome consideration for all residents, current and future. Data Centers, much like cars, trucks, livestock operations, or even our homes, are sources of carbon emissions which are integrally tied to our daily existence and the world around us. In order to best manage this energy consumption and carbon output new technologies and protocols are constantly being developed and implemented to mitigate the impact of Data Center energy consumption. One of the most effective tools at limiting resource consumption of data centers is to consolidate them into large campuses that can operate more efficiently than multiple sites spread out across a much larger area. This limits the amount of new infrastructure that needs to be installed, reduces power consumption due to efficiency of scale and allows for more efficient and environmentally friendly practices such as utilizing recaptured wastewater for cooling and preventing any discharge via on site collection and recycling. Industry leaders such as Iron Mountain, Equinix and Digital Realty have transitioned to renewable energy usage across nearly all their sites and have simultaneously invested in renewable energy generation. This is particularly relevant to Fredrick County as those three companies are realistic partners for the site due to their Federal Agency contracts and the unique suitability of the site for secure applications.

There are many misconceptions around Data Centers which are the unfortunate result of how relatively little interest exists in them among the general public and the constant and drastic evolution they have undergone in the past two decades. Data Centers have existed in some capacity since the 90’s, however they previously were typically located in office buildings. In the late 1990’s I witnessed my father start up a server colocation business out of the basement of our home, which in essence became a microcosm of what a data center is today. By centralizing we not only are taking the most responsible action for our environment but also for our economy and security.

From a standpoint of renewable energy, remarkably the Doubs site was put forth as a host for a solar project which would generate clean energy for the attached substation, only to be blocked by the county in 2016. There are a small but vocal segment of people, some of whom are not stakeholders in the county, who are very insistent on projects like breweries or more townhome developments. I would ask those with that perspective to truly ask if more wait staff jobs at a brewery which do not even pay a living wage, to serve those with disposable income are better than data center jobs and the community investment they bring. Are more housing developments without funding for schools and infrastructure are somehow preferable to developing our economy in a responsible way and enabling the funding of our already underperforming schools? It is ironic that environmental concerns are often pushed to the forefront of any opposition agendas when in reality the EPA has documented that agricultural output and housing development with their associated increase in transportation emissions actually emit a greater amount of greenhouse gases than the projects they seek to stop while providing no benefits to the community and those who need it most.

Floating Zones

Basics — A floating zone is a zoning district that delineates conditions which must be met before that zoning district can be approved for an existing piece of land. Rather than being placed on the zoning map as traditional zones are, however, the floating zone is simply written as an amendment in the zoning ordinance. Thus, the zone “floats” until a development application is approved, when the zone is then added to the official zoning map. Floating zones can be used to plan for future land uses that are anticipated or desired in the community, but are not confirmed, such as affordable housing, shopping centers, and urban development projects. They can also be used for cluster zoning, planned-unit developments (PUDs), and urban development projects.

The Solution

As we began to consider options for rezoning a property from agricultural to industrial, we initiated conversations with county staff, community organizations, and neighbors. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our neighbors supported the change, realizing that they would also benefit from the utility upgrade and increase in property values. Limits on how quickly zoning changes can be implemented were brought up in an informal discussion with county staff. The typical approach is to demonstrate a “change” in the neighborhood’s character or an error in the previous zoning map. The major issue with “change” is that it is highly subjective, and no measurable method for determining the degree of change is provided. “Using the “change in neighborhood” rezoning strategy, there have been very few, if any, completed in all my years,” said one of the planners.

The quickest method for re-zoning this new data center parcel would be to apply a floating zone, which the American Planners Association recommends in similar situations when a sector has experienced significant growth and re-zoning is required.

Conclusion

Maryland currently has a unique opportunity to completely reinvigorate its economy on an unprecedented scale. By taking advantage of a set of unexpected circumstances in Virginia, we have a one-time chance to shift the bulk of new data center development into our state and do so in a responsible manner that will not only bring in tremendous tax revenue and job development but also steward our natural environment in a responsible manner while enabling us to simultaneously impact the lives of our neighbors who need assistance the most. Our strategy will follow a three-phase rollout, which will entail adding anchor sites in Prince George’s County, routing fiber under the Potomac near Fort Washington, and seeing Baltimore City established as a connecting hub between the Northern Virginia and Philadelphia Network Access Points in order to position Maryland as the most critical partner for federal data users moving forward.

Unlike projects that require subsidization from the state, our project will instead directly invest in multiple sectors of Maryland’s economy and generate jobs that do not simply provide a living wage but rather a thriving one. A $15 per hour minimum wage is certainly an improvement over the current level; however, with the average cost of rent in the state eclipsing $1600 per month and Montgomery County reaching over $2000 monthly, jobs that generate meaningful opportunity for economic advancement are becoming ever more necessary to see our fellow citizens thrive. Education is another extremely overburdened system in our state, with items such as schoolprovided breakfasts or laundry services for students becoming increasingly contentious issues. These services are incredibly low-cost relative to the tremendous amount of revenue generated by projects such as ours, and by utilizing the added revenue streams we generate, Maryland has the chance to dramatically impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of our children in ways we have never imagined.