Hello Reddit!

I wasn't expecting you all to show up just yet, as you can see by the horrible way it made a thumbnail for that post.

I didn't ask anyone to post to Reddit, I guess someone I showed the site to thought it was a good idea. More power to them.

As I said in my post, I've been in tech for a long time and use tools as I deem appropriate. AI can be useful in a lot of ways. Other ways it can be quite harmful. I have a small business and a family to maintain and using AI to help out has been pretty important in finding the time to get things done.

But I don't support bypassing the rules for large developers to put environmentally destructive data centers in the middle of residential areas.

I am upset by the lies and gaslighting and NDAs and nonsense that has (apparently) been going on since at least 2019.

I'm putting my money and time where my mouth is. I'm maintaining a website, filing Public Information Act requests on my own dime, spending time following up all the little ends, and writing up content to try to help other people understand.

Some of my inspirations taking on this project:

Jeremy Arias (rest in peace)
Radley Balko
Daniel Dale
Aaron Rupar
Marc Elias
Bellingcat
Chris Geidner
Yashar Ali
Mike Masnick
Marcy Wheeler
and many more...

Anyway, as I said I was transparent about using AI and I do stand behind everything on my site and I have a policy of accepting corrections. I won't shadow edit, I'll publish corrections and say they are corrections.
https://www.fredcopapertrail.com/corrections/

In fact, my first set of corrections will be on the timeline – I need to update it for what's happened in the post few weeks!

Editorial illustration of a development site plan positioned between a planning commission table and a city council dais, with a shared rulebook and arrows pointing toward both bodies.

Frederick’s Site-Plan Debate Is About Who Decides—and Under What Rules

Frederick is considering letting the City Council take over final review of selected major development plans. The proposal could increase elected accountability, but it does not explain which projects would be selected or why.

Editorial graphic showing a closed dark blue gate beside an active construction route with data-center buildings, a crane and roadwork.

What Happens Next With Frederick County’s Data Centers?

Frederick County has paused new data-center applications, but it has not paused construction already authorized. Here is what stopped, what did not, and what residents should watch next.

Carroll Manor Needs More Than a Study -- It Needs an Action Plan

FCPS has ordered a comprehensive study of Carroll Manor Elementary School’s proximity to the Quantum Frederick data-center campus. The RFP must define not only what gets measured, but what findings will trigger action and who will pay.

FredCo Paper Trail graphic asking “Who gets the final say?” with a magnifying glass examining a data-center site and boxes for state review, public record and site status.

Maryland Added a Data-Center Review. Frederick Still Needs to Know What It Changes.

Maryland's new executive order creates a statewide review process for large data centers, but it is not a moratorium. In Frederick County, the test is whether that review reaches existing projects and produces enforceable, project-level accountability.

Read more

Frederick’s Site-Plan Debate Is About Who Decides—and Under What Rules

What Happens Next With Frederick County’s Data Centers?

Carroll Manor Needs More Than a Study -- It Needs an Action Plan

Maryland Added a Data-Center Review. Frederick Still Needs to Know What It Changes.