Lawsuit tests zoning rules for proposed data center in Lawrence County
Stonebridge is suing North Beaver and Mahoning Townships in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, over zoning restrictions for a proposed data center campus. The company argues that regulations adopted after its submission should not apply, while the townships will seek to uphold them based on the pending-ordinance doctrine. A public hearing is scheduled where Stonebridge will address residents and an informal citizens group plans to attend.
Maryland-based Stonebridge is proposing a major data center campus on property situated between North Beaver Township and Mahoning Township in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The company has filed a lawsuit against both townships, contending that zoning restrictions adopted after it submitted its development plans should not be applied to its project.
The core of the legal dispute centers on Pennsylvania's pending-ordinance doctrine. Mahoning Township solicitor Lou Perrotta asserts that developers are required to comply with proposed ordinances once they have been reviewed by a planning commission and properly publicized, even if not yet formally enacted. Stonebridge, however, argues that these restrictions were not in effect at the time of its proposal submission and should therefore not govern the project.
Both Mahoning Township and North Beaver Township intend to ask a judge to dismiss Stonebridge's legal challenge and affirm the validity of the zoning regulations. Meanwhile, Stonebridge is scheduled to address residents at a public hearing on Monday night. An informal citizens group is also expected to attend, seeking answers regarding transparency, the development process, the project's potential community impact, and Stonebridge's history with hyperscale data center construction.