.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Butler Township Schedules Public Hearing on Data Center Zoning Changes
Butler Township, Pennsylvania, is holding a public hearing on proposed zoning ordinance changes for its Data Center Overlay District. The proposals include expanding the district and reducing the maximum allowable noise level for data centers from 75 dB(A) to 65 dB(A). The Butler Township Board of Supervisors may consider enacting these ordinances following the hearing.
Butler Township officials in Pennsylvania have scheduled a public hearing to discuss two proposed zoning ordinance changes affecting the township's Data Center Overlay District. The hearing, set for August 18, 2026, at the Butler Township Municipal Building, will allow the public to comment on Ordinances No. 2026-2 and 2026-3 before the Board of Supervisors considers their enactment.
Ordinance No. 2026-2 aims to expand the existing Data Center Overlay within the Interchange (I-1) Zoning District, designating specific properties along Interstate 81 and Route 4007 (Gordon Mountain Road) for inclusion. A portion of one parcel within the Woodland Conservation Zoning District would be excluded from this expansion.
The second proposal, Ordinance No. 2026-3, seeks to amend the township's noise regulations for data centers and their accessory facilities. It proposes a reduction in the maximum permitted sound level from 75 dB(A) to 65 dB(A), measured from facility property lines. These changes would update requirements previously established under Ordinance No. 2025-4.
The public hearing is a requirement of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Following the hearing, the Butler Township Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold its regular meeting where they may formally consider enacting both ordinances.