Hazle Township approves 180-day curative amendment to pause zoning over data centers
Hazle Township supervisors have enacted a 180-day moratorium on zoning challenges related to data centers, following a court ruling regarding the proposed Project Hazelnut campus. This temporary pause will allow the township to draft specific new zoning regulations for data centers. Residents are actively advocating for strict limitations on future data center development.
Hazle Township supervisors in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, have unanimously approved a 180-day curative amendment, effectively instituting a limited moratorium on challenges to the township's zoning ordinance concerning data centers. The decision grants officials a six-month period to revise existing zoning rules and draft new regulations specifically for data center development.
This action follows a recent Luzerne County court ruling on "Project Hazelnut," a proposed 15-building data center campus by NorthPoint. Last year, supervisors denied the project's land development approval. While the judge affirmed the project should be considered by the township zoning board via a special exception process, the ruling also recognized the developer's right to challenge the ordinance's validity due to its lack of specific provisions for data centers.
Residents actively participated in the meeting, advocating for stringent limitations on future data center construction. The township has engaged a Pittsburgh-based consulting firm to aid in drafting the new ordinance, with opportunities for public input through the planning commission. Project Hazelnut's developer, NorthPoint, has yet to apply for the special exception hearing before the zoning board. Some residents suggested referencing Luzerne County's model ordinance, which advises a 2,000-foot setback for hyperscale data centers from sensitive locations.