Data Centers & Zoning Bill: What Did Anne Arundel Co. Council Vote On This Week?

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — From hot-button topics like data centers to a controversial zoning bill, the Anne Arundel County Council had a variety of issues to address during this week's meeting.

While the council members were able to clear through some legislation and make advancements in others, not all matters were handled before the clock ran out during Monday's session.

In fact, Monday's meeting went past midnight and raised concerns over the body's ability to clear its hefty zoning bill before legislation expires.

Before a final vote can be held on the legislation, any new amendments must allow time for discussion and feedback from Anne Arundel County residents.

Council members only have the Oct. 19 meeting before the new County Council comes into play following the looming election.

Below are a few takeaways from Monday's session:

Public Ethics (Bill No. 59-26)

Introduced by 3rd District Councilmember Nathan Volke in July, public ethics Bill 59-26 was the first bill tackled by the County Council.

The legislation was amended to include coverage for relatives and spouses, requiring any council member to sit out of a vote if there's a link to an immediate family member that could influence their decision.

The legislation passed 6-0, with 6th District Councilmember Lisa Rodvien recusing herself.

Data Center Moratorium (Bill No. 63-26)

Although a full data center ban was initially introduced by Volke, the Council previously voted in favor of shifting the ban to a 15-month moratorium.

At a previous meeting, council members said the data center pause allows a work study to review effective steps taken by other Maryland counties.

While residents who spoke at the hearing expressed they were in favor of the data center pause, one constituent described the data center debate as "a flash grenade."

Related: Anne Arundel County Council Pulls Away From Possible Data Center Ban

"This is putting a band-aid on a hemorrhaging artery," Paul Higgins, of Pasadena, said. "This moratorium is slowing things down. If you want to fix the problem, put a moratorium on everything."

"If you want to go after something, go after how we fix the power situation. This data center thing is all smoke and mirrors ... it's going to be like that power bill. It's gonna come back and catch you downrange."

The unanimously passed moratorium takes effect 45 days from the point that it's signed by County Executive Steuart Pittman. Any data center projects already in progress are considered grandfathered under the legislation.

Zoning Bill Left At Risk

Anne Arundel County's zoning legislation, Bill No. 61-26, was introduced by Councilmember Julie Hummer at the request of County Executive Steuart Pittman in July.

Since then, it's been amended several times. The latest zoning change now provides coverage for food trucks, ensuring they're legally protected to set up shop on the same private property for up to four days and serve customers until 9 p.m.

Truck operators also shifted from a conditional to permitted use in county zones.

However, despite the unanimous passage of the amendment, the protections are not concrete until the entire zoning bill is cleared by council members.

Officials still have dozens of amendments to address in the zoning package.

What To Expect At The Oct. 19 Meeting?

The County Council agenda for its Oct. 19 meeting will address the following legislation:

• Zoning Bill No. 61-26
• Public Ethics Bill No. 65-26
• Public Ethics Bill No. 66-26
• Zoning Bill No. 67-26
• Capital Budget and Program Bill No. 68-26
• Public Ethics Bill No. 69-26
• Concept Plan Bill No. 70-26
• Environment Protection Act Bill No. 71-26
• Swimming Pool and Space Code Bill No. 72-26
• Real Property Tax Bill No. 73-26
• Repeal of Paper, Reusable Bag Fee Bill No. 74-26
• Supplementary Appropriations Bill No. 75-26
• County Residency Requirement Bill No. 76-26
• Anne Arundel Co. Fiscal 2028 CIP Bill No. 34-26

• Storm Sewer System Permit Bill No. 35-26
• Bill No. 36-26