Worcester County government hit the pause button on data centers and cable landing stations last month. Now comes the harder part: deciding what happens when the pause ends.
County planners got their first crack at that question last Thursday, Aug. 6, as they reviewed public calls for stronger language in Worcester’s new comprehensive plan dealing with the facilities.
“Maybe the question would be, should it be a more generalized concern about large scale digital infrastructure? Maybe not specific to those projects, but just in general, the impact it would have on the county,” Development Review and Permitting Director Jennifer Keener told the Worcester County Planning Commission.
The county’s 12-month moratorium took effect in July, giving officials a year to study the facilities and develop legislation governing them. Keener said that work is underway.
One project is already waiting for those answers. Globalinx has proposed a cable landing station along the Route 611 corridor outside West Ocean City for Amazon Web Services, but its pending zoning case was put on hold when the county commissioners adopted the moratorium July 21.
Planning Commission Chairman Jerry Barbierri raised the question while the commission considered comments submitted on the county’s draft comprehensive plan.