Court Blocks Frederick Data Center Vote

Maryland courts blocked a proposed public vote on Frederick County’s Critical Digital Infrastructure Overlay Zone near Adamstown, which covers roughly 2,615 acres after a county zoning expansion.

The rulings held that the zoning ordinance was not subject to referendum under the county charter and that petition materials did not adequately reproduce the ordinance and maps. The decision leaves the data center zone in place while underscoring the legal limits and procedural requirements for challenging local land-use decisions by ballot.