Doylestown Township advances data center zoning regulations
Doylestown Township supervisors have unanimously advanced a proposed ordinance to regulate data centers, seeking to proactively establish zoning parameters. The regulations would permit standalone data centers only as conditional uses in light-industrial districts, imposing specific requirements for setbacks, noise, and emergency planning. No specific data center applications have been submitted to the township yet.
Doylestown Township supervisors have unanimously authorized the advertisement of a proposed ordinance designed to regulate data centers proactively. The township initiated a 180-day municipal curative-amendment process to address a perceived gap in its current zoning ordinance, with Supervisors Chair Jennifer Herring emphasizing the preventative nature of the effort to establish parameters around data center use.
The draft ordinance would restrict standalone data centers to conditional uses within the township's light-industrial districts. Proposed site standards include a minimum 100-foot setback, expanding to 200 feet when bordering residential property, along with buffering requirements. Township consultant Judy Stern Goldstein clarified that the purpose is not to encourage data centers but to define and regulate them with appropriate conditions, noting that these dimensional restrictions would likely make large hyperscale facilities difficult to construct.
Supervisors also discussed potential restrictions on building size or power consumption, as well as requirements for electronic waste plans, renewable energy encouragement, decommissioning plans, and payments in lieu of taxes. Noise and vibration standards received significant attention, with the draft requiring a preconstruction study from applicants and allowing the township to hire its own expert for review at the applicant's expense. Penalties for violations were also discussed.
Township Solicitor Michael Clarke cautioned against restrictions that could make data center use practically impossible, as this could invalidate the ordinance. The proposal will undergo further planning reviews before returning to the supervisors, with potential adoption in October if the process remains on schedule.