Mahoning Twp. supervisors changing data center ordinance after residents voice concerns
Mahoning Township supervisors are amending a data center ordinance due to resident concerns about its wording not being strict enough. Residents want more specific rules for conditional use approval to protect the community. The revised ordinance will go to the Planning Commission before a final vote.
The video reports on a Mahoning Township supervisors meeting where residents expressed strong concerns about a recently passed ordinance regulating data centers. Residents, present in a packed house, argued that the current zoning classification for data centers did not adequately protect them or allow the township to negotiate fair agreements and long-term financial benefits. They also raised environmental and economic burden concerns, advocating for conditional use approval to ensure meaningful host agreements and community protections.
Township solicitor Lou Perrotta clarified that the township is not actively pursuing a new data center but rather being progressive by establishing parameters for potential future developments. He stated that the ordinance was started in late 2025 and that much of the opposition stems from "fear mongering."
Despite the solicitor's comments, residents voiced disappointment and a belief that supervisors were not fully informed. After hearing public input, the township supervisors agreed to amend the ordinance to include more specific wording. This revised ordinance will now be forwarded to the Planning Commission for review before the supervisors can vote on its final passage at a meeting scheduled for June.