Slocum Twp. sets special meeting on curative zoning amendment

Slocum Township supervisors are scheduled to hold a special meeting on July 23 to consider a curative amendment to its zoning ordinance and map, which will specifically address data centers and related structures. This follows a Monday night session where the township planning commission, after listening to resident concerns, referred the proposed changes back to the supervisors without recommendations.

The township embarked on this curative amendment process in February after declaring its current zoning ordinance and map "substantially invalid," specifically due to the absence of an industrial zone and inadequate language regulating data centers. Planning commission solicitor Chris Opiel explained that the amendment is crucial to prevent "exclusionary challenges" from companies that might want to build data centers, citing a similar challenge faced by neighboring Dorrance Township. The township has a deadline of August 3 to act on the amendment under state municipal planning code.

The proposed amendment includes revising the zoning map to change two existing "conditional use districts" into Industrial districts, slightly expanding them to a combined 150 acres, which represents just over two percent of the township's land. Opiel noted this is considered the minimum necessary to avoid legal challenges. Additionally, the amendment introduces language requiring conditional approval for any proposed data center, allowing supervisors to impose elaborate conditions. The new language also addresses standard data center requirements such as buffers, noise, water and electricity supply, fuel storage, and decommissioning.