Mahanoy supers to consider data center regulations next week
Mahanoy Township, Pennsylvania, is preparing to hold a public hearing to discuss proposed amendments to its zoning ordinance concerning data centers. The township is currently under a six-month moratorium on data center developments due to a curative amendment process. Proposed regulations include conditional use in industrial districts, a public project website requirement, noise limits, and mandates for community benefits agreements and drought response plans.
Mahanoy Township, Pennsylvania, is slated to hold a public hearing on September 24 at Mahanoy Area High School to consider amendments to its zoning ordinance specifically addressing data centers. The township is currently operating under a curative amendment process, which has placed a hold on data center developments for up to six months.
Township supervisors are seeking public comment on the proposed changes, which aim to define data centers within the ordinance and introduce new regulations. These regulations, if approved, would permit data centers by conditional use in the industrial district, an area recently expanded by the supervisors. Key requirements for applicants would include maintaining a public project website, adhering to specific noise and vibration limits (67 dB(A) daytime, 57 dB(A) nighttime/weekends), and providing a community benefits agreement.
Furthermore, the proposed ordinance amendments would mandate a drought response plan and a strategy for power supply and grid coordination from data center developers. Pennsylvania law requires all land uses to be accommodated within a municipality's zoning ordinance, necessitating these regulatory updates.