Reply to Who do you think will win MoCo county exec?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What is the deal with data centers?  Is anyone actually planning to allow them and not block them?  And where would they even go?  Any insights?[/quote]

They are already allowed by zoning, in industrial areas.  Not perfectly, which is why the ZTA change was introduced in January - to create a specific definition of "data center" rather than rely on "cable communications system."

There isn't much industrial zoning in the county.

The Dickerson site is perfect for a data center. On already industrial disturbed land that can't be farmed or used for housing.  It would make the PFAS disaster at the old public safety training academy site look like child's play.   It's an industry that doesn't create a lot of jobs, which is unfortunate, but you don't want to put tons of jobs up in Dickerson where the roads can't support more commuting.  The data center should be crafted in the most environmentally-responsible way possible, but it's a good use of that land.

Here's the main thing.  We keep shutting down business development here.  There are legal pathways to create business, but when some people get mad, we pull the rug out from under the businesses, who have in many cases, already invested significant amounts of money.  Nobody trusts us to be predictable.   Businesses can handle more regulation.  But they NEED predictability.  And that is where County leadership FAILS miserably, time and time again.  Today it's picking on a data center.  Tomorrow it will be something else.  And there will be no new businesses to help increase our tax base.  It will just get piled on property owners in the county.  Every three or four years or so.   Hope you are all happy paying those increases. 
[/quote]

Completely agree with this. The mess that is DPS does not help either - businesses wanting to locate in MoCo have no reliable timeline for when they will be permitted and open for business. Our property taxes are going to be as high as NJ/NY if we can’t attract more businesses here. [/quote]

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