Craig Greenberg, Fredrick MD—I am writing regarding the proposed Trammell Crow text amendment to permit data center development on Gas House Pike near the Monocacy River. I urge the Council to proceed with extreme caution—and significant conditions—before amending the city code to permit data center development.
I have serious concerns across several dimensions:
Noise and public health. Hyperscale data centers emit constant low-frequency noise that travels 2+ miles and penetrates buildings in ways conventional sound barriers cannot address. This type of chronic low-frequency hum is documented to cause sleep disruption, stress, and cardiovascular effects even when residents cannot consciously hear it. This is not a hypothetical — it is the lived reality of communities in Prince William County, Loudoun County, and Lowell, Massachusetts today.
Water supply. Frederick County’s Potomac River water allocation is already under severe strain from existing data center development. A new study warns the entire county may face water shortfalls when current expansions come online. Approving additional city facilities before this is resolved would be irresponsible.
Electricity costs. Grid infrastructure upgrades required by data centers are passed to all ratepayers. City residents would bear real costs that are not reflected in the tax revenue projections developers are presenting to the Council.
My primary request is that the Council reject this text amendment entirely and maintain the current prohibition on data centers within city limits. If the Council nevertheless proceeds, I ask that the following minimum protections be adopted as non-negotiable conditions:
1. Delay any vote until the state environmental impact study due in September 2026 is released and reviewed
2. Adopt Montgomery County-level protections as minimum conditions — including 500-foot residential setbacks, low-frequency noise standards measured in dBC (not just dBA), Tier 4 generator emissions, and water use disclosure
3. Commission an independent fiscal analysis that accounts for hidden costs — grid infrastructure, water infrastructure, road damage, environmental liability — before accepting developer tax revenue projections at face value
Frederick’s quality of life, property values, and water security are worth more than the tax revenue being offered. I ask the Council to represent the residents who live here, not the developers who want to build here.
Respectfully,
Craig Greenberg
8 Davis Ave