Drumore Twp. zoning officer pitches proactive regulations for data centers
The Drumore Township zoning officer proposed updates to the zoning ordinance to proactively regulate data centers, including defining their appropriate locations and requirements. This recommendation was prompted by a developer's inquiry in neighboring East Drumore Township about rezoning agricultural land for a data center. The goal is to restrict data centers to commercial-industrial properties to protect farmland.
Mark Deimler, the zoning officer for Drumore Township, presented recommendations to the Drumore Township supervisors on June 4, advocating for proactive updates to the zoning ordinance. The proposed changes aim to clearly define data centers and outline appropriate locations and requirements for their development within the township. Deimler emphasized the importance of these regulations to prevent potential legal challenges and ensure data centers are not located in areas undesirable to residents, particularly agricultural lands.
Deimler's urgency stems from a recent inquiry in neighboring East Drumore Township, where he also serves as zoning officer. A developer had approached East Drumore Township about rezoning 80 acres of agricultural land for a data center. Although both Deimler and the East Drumore solicitor conveyed the board's disinterest in such a proposal, the incident highlighted the potential for data center developers to target southern Lancaster County. Deimler's recommendation to Drumore Township is to restrict any future data center developments exclusively to the township's limited commercial-industrial properties, thereby safeguarding prime agricultural land. He stated, "In southern Lancaster County, you’re going to find ag is pretty sacred, and no one is going to want to have an 80-acre data center stuck in the middle of your farmland."