Thank you for signing our petition and showing up at the Planning Commission hearing on Monday! There was an amazing turnout with 44 comments provided during the meeting and 32 written comments submitted! When the petition was presented on Tuesday it had gained 268 signatures in the course of only 4 days. Let's keep that momentum going!
We achieved a great result, with the Planning Commission making the determination to keep the public comment period open for an additional 45 days as a result of the massive turnout! The new public comment close date is Monday, January 5, 2026 at 4:30pm.
The full recording of the Planning Commission meeting with agenda and links to submitted comments can be found here on CCGTV, and recording only (no agenda) here on YouTube.
There was even coverage of the meeting on NBC4 News: Charles County debates data center regulations | NBC4 Washington
Southern Maryland News also covered the meeting: Charles public hearing addresses data centers | Southern Maryland News
We ask that everyone make their voices heard and continue to provide comments, especially if you were unable to do so during the initial public comment period. Comments can be provided via the Planning Commission Public Comment Form.
- Instructions for providing a public comment can be found here, along with comment templates that you can use or tailor.
Continue to comment and share the petition! This petition will be resubmitted during the extended comment period to capture the additional signatures added over the 45 day extended comment period.
If you or an organization you are a part of is interested in getting more involved with opposition to data centers in Charles County, please contact us at communitycenteredsomd@gmail.com.
PHOTO DESCRIPTION: We included the photo from the County’s presentation showing which zones data centers would be allowed in if ZTA #25-187 is approved. Note how close they are to the most populated residential areas in the County! The full presentation is included in the recorded meeting linked above. Credit for the photo goes to Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management.