Council member Wanika Fisher explains her data center amendment

Prince George’s County Council member Wanika Fisher has a bold proposal.

In the face of loud opposition to data centers in the county, the District 2 rep pitched an amendment to the zoning ordinance that would allow the facilities in certain agricultural and residential areas.

County planning department staff recommended against moving Fisher’s amendment forward, finding that it’s inconsistent with recommendations from the county’s Qualified Data Center Task Force. But someone else appears lukewarm on the proposal, too: Wanika Fisher.

“I would say I don’t really have a position either way,” she said when asked whether she thinks data centers are needed in the county.

Her goal in drafting the amendment is to start a conversation among her colleagues, said Fisher, who will not return to elected office after losing the primary race for state’s attorney in June. Her term ends in December.

“I would say when any of us propose legislation, even for myself on this bill, it’s not that I have a particular vision,” Fisher said. “I think it’s about bringing something to light so that all the colleagues can have a conversation.”

Planning department staff said last week that the amendment was a piecemeal attempt to address data centers that conflicts with the county’s moratorium on data center development. The moratorium, which was passed in July, is in place for up to two years or until the council approves legislation to regulate the facilities. It’s unclear whether Fisher’s proposal would lift the moratorium.

It’s important for the council to have conversations now about data centers, Fisher said, because any action the county takes on the facilities could be usurped by the state.

“You’re either going to be part of the conversation or take yourself fully out of it,” she said. “I’m offering a way for us to talk about it.”

Fisher said she’s open to changes to her proposed framework to make it more comprehensive. She expects the amendment to go through many drafts.

Fisher said the amendment was informed by recommendations from the county’s Qualified Data Center Task Force and the practices of Frederick County, which has several large data centers in planning stages.

Some council members Fisher has spoken to are open to her amendment, while others support alternative approaches, she said. And while County Executive Aisha Braveboy is aware of Fisher’s proposal, she did not provide input on it.

“I think everyone has their own ideas,” Fisher said. “I’m open to talking with them and I’m open to any idea they want to do, or nothing. But someone has to have the courage to put in a vehicle to speak about it.”

The county planning board voted unanimously last week to take no position on the amendment, despite its staff’s recommendation. Now, a council member can formally introduce the amendment as a bill. The council isn’t scheduled to meet again until September.