Sugarloaf Alliance
Preservation * Smarter Growth * Transparency in Government
The Overlay Zone legislation set up to 1% of county acreage to be available for data centers under this Overlay. The Planning Commission recommended limiting the Overlay to the existing Eastalco site and adjacent properties already planned to be industrial - a smaller area than the County Executive and staff proposed. On 12/23/25 the County
Council voted to expand the Overlay Zone, nearly doubling the area available to build data centers.
2025 was a busy year! Click here to learn how Sugarloaf Alliance has contributed to smarter growth efforts in Frederick County and beyond.
YOU joined the movement
to overturn the data center
Overlay Zone expansion.
Read the results of
Sugarloaf Alliance's latest
Maryland Public Information Request re data centers here.
Governor's office asks for
enforcement "leniency"
21,029 signatures were validated on the
Referendum Petition -
15,611 were required to put the question on the ballot.
Who will decide what we vote on in Frederick County?
The trial for the Data Center Referendum takes place on Friday at Frederick Circuit Court at 100 W Patrick St, Frederick, MD 21701 at 9:30 am. We have gathered some of the trial documents for public viewing.
Early Voting starts on June 11th!
The Sugarloaf Alliance invited all candidates for local offices to reply to a questionnaire seeking their positions on issues of interest to SA members: environmental stewardship, transparency in government, and data center siting and regulation. We have their responses.
Data center companies are suing the Board of Elections and the Referendum Committee to prevent the expansion question from coming to a vote.
Sugarloaf Alliance
MPRP powerlines for data centers are projected to run through the Sugarloaf Plan area. The PSEG application is now before the Public Service Commission.