HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Washington County officials have shared proposed rules for data center development. These include minimum distances from homes, noise limits, energy guidelines and environmental protections. The county will review these proposals through a series of Planning Commission meetings until 2027.
At a Board of County Commissioners meeting, County Administrator Michelle Gordon presented recommendations developed by county staff after reviewing best practices and potential zoning and land use changes.
These recommendations come while Washington County still has a ban on data centers in unincorporated areas. Gordon stressed that the commissioners have not approved any data center construction in the county.
“The Board of County Commissioners have not approved a data center or a data center construction in Washington County,” Gordon said.
Regulations to address energy, water, environmental concerns
County staff members made several recommendations to address how data centers could affect nearby communities, public utilities and the environment. One proposal is to require at least 1,000 feet between data centers and homes.
Staff members also suggested limiting noise to 50 decibels at property lines and adding rules for low-frequency and tonal noise. Developers might need to add barriers like trees or berms to help reduce noise for neighbors.
Energy use is another important issue. The recommendations would require developers to create energy plans that use alternative or self-generated power and include ways to feed electricity back into the grid. The aim is to make sure that the extra energy costs from data centers do not get passed on to other utility customers. County officials are also thinking about banning natural gas turbines and lithium-ion batteries for backup energy storage.
Water-saving rules would include recycling systems, drought plans, and looking at geothermal or other alternative cooling methods. Developers would also need to do air quality and environmental impact studies before getting approval to build.
County proposes limiting data centers to industrial areas
The recommendations would limit data centers to planned industrial zones and require developers to get special exceptions. Under this process, applicants would submit proposals to the Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals instead of receiving automatic approval based on zoning.
The board would review applications, hold public hearings and listen to community feedback before deciding on a project. This process would give residents a chance to share concerns about noise, utility use, environmental impact and how close data centers are to homes.
County staff is also looking into whether they could set up an excise tax or impact fee for data center projects. Such a fee could help pay for infrastructure needs linked to large data centers, but the meeting did not discuss a specific fee or structure.
Moratorium does not extend to incorporated municipalities
Gordon also explained that the county’s current ban on data centers does not apply to incorporated towns and cities. Under Section 4-416 of Maryland’s Local Government Article, municipalities with planning and zoning authority generally have jurisdiction over planning, subdivision control and zoning within annexed areas.
This means towns like Hagerstown, Williamsport, Smithsburg, Hancock, Boonsboro, Clear Spring, Funkstown, Sharpsburg, and Keedysville can approve data center projects without county commissioner approval.
Gordon said municipal authority is still subject to some laws, especially for annexed properties or land uses that differ significantly from what the county allowed before.
So, the county’s ban does not automatically stop a town or city from considering or approving a data center in its area. This clarification was meant to correct false information online about the county’s role in data center development.
Planning Commission review expected through 2027
County officials have set a rough timeline to review and possibly adopt new rules. Staff members finished their first round of research and recommendations between July and September 2026.
The Planning Commission plans to hold workshops in October and November, then start discussing proposed local rules from December 2026 to January 2027. From January to February 2027, the commission will review and adjust proposals based on possible state laws.
A draft of the local zoning amendment should be ready for review in March 2027. Between April and June 2027, the Planning Commission plans to send its recommended rules to the Board of County Commissioners. The commissioners would then hold another public hearing, review the recommendations and decide whether to adopt changes to county zoning and land use rules.
This timeline does not mean the recommendations will be adopted exactly as written.
Residents encouraged to participate
Gordon reminded residents that they can share comments about county operations and agenda items by writing, emailing or calling the commissioners. There will be more opportunities for public input as the Planning Commission reviews the proposed rules and the commissioners consider possible zoning changes.
These recommendations are an early framework for regulating data center development in unincorporated Washington County. The Commission did not vote on the proposed standards at the meeting.
