The Worcester County Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 1, voted to table an Amazon Web Services (AWS) zoning request for 60 days, holding up a small power building tied to a transatlantic cable until at least December, according to the Baltimore Sun. The amendment would allow a “power feed equipment” building in the commercial airport district at Ocean City Municipal Airport.
The building is part of Amazon’s plan to bring a subsea cable system from Ireland to Maryland, which the Sun calls Fastnet. The county commissioners placed a temporary moratorium on permits for data centers and cable landing stations on July 21, 2026, valid for 12 months or until rescinded, according to Worcester County’s announcement. That followed an earlier proposal by Globalinx for a cable landing station near Route 611. The Open Agenda recording shows the planning commission’s discussion.
What Amazon Is Asking For
The amendment would permit a single power feed equipment building in the airport’s commercial district. The applicants said on the recording that the building would be no more than 1,200 square feet on a plot of no more than 3,500 square feet, and would not connect to public water or sewer. They said the current plan is about 700 square feet. An Amazon spokesperson told the Sun the building would not store, process or manage data.
The applicants are AWS and the Maryland Broadband Cooperative (MDBC), a Salisbury-based nonprofit. They presented the building as different from a data center or cable landing station, which are covered by the moratorium. A representative for the applicants said they have “no plans for the cable landing station or a data center” in Worcester County.
Questions From Planning Commissioners
Planning commissioners asked whether the amendment is tight enough. Member Alec French asked whether it could be limited to one cable and bar a future cable landing station in the county, according to the OC Today-Dispatch. They also asked what concrete benefits Worcester County would receive and asked to see the agreements between AWS and MDBC.
A representative for the applicants said any such agreements are private and not with a public entity. MDBC President Drew Van Dopp said the cooperative has “a master services agreement with them,” meaning AWS. County Commissioner Eric Fiori said there is no contract between AWS and MDBC.
Opponents and Supporters
Fiori, who represents District 3 and opposes the proposal, said an email to county administration in June stated that AWS would be open to a cable landing station or data center within 10 miles of the site. He said he believes that distance would reach into Wicomico County. He also raised concern about oversight of power use, saying there is “no watchdog group to say how much electric they’re going to use.”
A Worcester County resident interviewed on Open Agenda said “this is a gateway” to further development.
Van Dopp said MDBC would build new fiber assets alongside the project, including fiber connected to its existing network that internet-provider members could use. The applicants said the cable would be manufactured starting early next year and laid around the end of 2027 into 2028.
What Happens Next
The planning commission is advisory. It must send a recommendation to the county commissioners, who could introduce a zoning bill, hold a public hearing and vote. Even then, AWS would need construction plan approvals, an airport lease with Ocean City, and federal, state and local permits.
The Sun reported that the planning commission’s vote to table was unanimous. The motion said the 60 days would let staff and other professionals gather more information. The matter is on hold until at least December.
