Frederick Candidates Clash Over Farmland, Data Centers and the Cost of Growth

How much farmland should Frederick County set aside for development, and how can farms remain financially viable? Those questions drove a Wednesday candidate forum hosted by the Frederick County Farm Bureau.

County Council candidates and Republican county executive candidate Jeff Holtzinger discussed land preservation, industrial zoning and support for agricultural businesses, according to The Frederick News-Post.

County Executive Jessica Fitzwater was delivering her State of the County address and did not attend, moderator Sam Roop told the audience. Democratic District 3 candidate Christian Benford later told the newspaper he had a prior personal commitment.

Much of the discussion focused on the Investing in Workers and Workplaces plan, known as IW2, which rezoned about 519 acres from agricultural to limited industrial use, and the Critical Digital Infrastructure overlay that permits data centers near Adamstown.

Several candidates argued that those decisions placed too much pressure on farmland. Democratic at-large candidate Tiffany Grant said farmers had not been adequately heard. Republican at-large candidates Jack Felton and Diane Fouché called for stronger preservation efforts, with Felton urging slower development and Fouché seeking more preservation funding.

Democratic at-large incumbent Renee Knapp defended the overlay’s role in keeping data centers out of other parts of the county. She argued that a larger commercial tax base could help pay for agricultural preservation.

District 1 candidates Louisa Conklin, a Democrat, and Frank Hollewa, a Republican, criticized recent land-use decisions. Conklin said the IW2 plan should have been sent back for more work. Hollewa urged reuse of vacant industrial buildings instead of converting agricultural land.

In District 2, Republican Dan Iampieri opposed rezoning fertile soils and advocated taxing data center equipment. Democrat Jamie Shopland said the county had gotten both IW2 and the data center overlay wrong.

Republican District 3 candidate Tammie Baugher raised concerns about taxes and the challenges facing the next generation of farmers.

Democratic District 4 incumbent Kavonté Duckett pointed to the county’s Office of Agriculture and Critical Farms Program as evidence of support for farming. Republican challenger Chaz Packan criticized adoption of the data center overlay and called for shrinking it.

Republican District 5 incumbent Mason Carter said farmers need more opportunities to earn income from their land and expressed interest in new agritourism legislation. Democratic challenger Johnny Mercer urged cooperation across party lines and spoke about the future of his family’s farmland and forest.

Holtzinger called for preserving as much agricultural land as possible. He and at least seven of the 13 council candidates said proximity to an established growth area should not allow the county to prevent a farmer from preserving land.

Candidates also praised the Career & Technology Center. Knapp proposed a new center and identified data center revenue as a possible funding source. Carter suggested exploring private funding, while Duckett emphasized the county budget process.

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins addressed the difficulties farmers face moving equipment through traffic and called for public education. His Democratic challenger, Karl Bickel, told the newspaper he had a prior commitment.