Overview
- The Harford County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to make Bill No. 26-011 emergency legislation, withdrawing a proposed 180-day moratorium and advancing consideration of a permanent ban.
- County Executive Bob Cassilly submitted Bill No. 26-011 on May 6 to codify a permanent prohibition because current Harford zoning does not explicitly permit data centers.
- A packed, often heated public hearing this week featured more than 40 speakers, with most residents opposing data centers over worries about environmental impacts, noise and falling property values.
- Developers and supporters, including Bill Vasilakopoulos of Mountain Branch Golf Course, urged the county to set local standards instead of banning projects and said a proposed Joppa data center could bring hundreds of jobs and large tax revenue.
- A public hearing and council vote are scheduled for June 9; if the council approves the emergency bill and the executive signs it, the ban would take effect immediately and could halt pending data-center proposals as neighboring counties study similar limits.