Concord Township approves data center ordinance
Concord Township officials unanimously approved an ordinance regulating future data centers in the township. The rules limit eligible sites, require substantial setbacks, regional utility power, sewage-system review, noise and vibration controls, emergency-power standards, and decommissioning plans; officials said there are currently no proposed data centers or applications.
Concord Township officials unanimously approved a data center zoning ordinance after three public hearings over five months. The ordinance allows data centers only in light industrial areas on sites of at least 12 acres, with a 900-foot setback from residences, schools and nursing facilities. Officials estimate fewer than five existing sites could meet the requirements without property consolidation or a reverse subdivision.
The rules also establish limits for sound, vibration and electromagnetic impacts, along with requirements for electronic-waste handling, fire protection, parking, decommissioning and backup generators. Data centers would need regional utility power and public sewage service, with municipal authorities able to reject a project if the existing sewage system could not accommodate its additional load. Council President Dominic Pileggi said adopting the ordinance gives the township control over where and how such facilities could be built.