Upper Bucks supervisors OK new data center regulations amid outcry

West Rockhill Township supervisors unanimously approved a new zoning ordinance to regulate data centers, a move that limits their development to planned industrial zones and establishes strict rules regarding size, noise, and power consumption. The decision came approximately six months after township planners received an informal sketch plan for a potential data center on Cathill Road in Sellersville, prompting the proactive regulatory action. Over 100 residents gathered to protest ahead of the April 15 hearing, expressing widespread concerns about the environmental impact of data centers, including water usage and contamination, power consumption, potential rate increases, air and light pollution, and the loss of open space in their rural community. While supervisors Chair Jay Keyser stated the ordinance's goal is to protect the township's way of life and its community's health, safety, and welfare, some residents like Michelle Marks viewed it as a step in the right direction but not comprehensive enough. Township solicitor David Keightly clarified that no formal applications for a data center have been submitted, and the ordinance's purpose is to establish regulations should an application arise, preventing unregulated development under Pennsylvania's municipal planning code. The approved ordinance requires a minimum site area of 25 acres, a height restriction of 35 feet, and mandates on-site solar power generation and infrastructure improvements. Supervisors also directed the solicitor to prepare amendments incorporating public comments and planning commission recommendations for introduction at the May 20 meeting, indicating the ordinance is not final. Residents and congressional candidate Lucia Simonelli advocated for a temporary moratorium on data center development, though Keightly advised against it to avoid leaving the township vulnerable to unregulated applications in the interim.