Reading planners expected to vote next month on data center zoning amendment
The Reading Planning Commission is expected to vote next month on whether to recommend a proposed zoning amendment to regulate data centers. Reading City Council had previously adopted a resolution that initiated a 180-day period during which no new data center applications may be submitted while the city amends its zoning ordinance. Some planning commission members have expressed concerns that the proposed regulations might be overreactive.
In Reading, Pennsylvania, the Planning Commission is expected to vote next month on whether to recommend a proposed zoning amendment to regulate data centers. The commission announced on Tuesday night that it will advertise potential action on the zoning amendment for its workshop meeting scheduled for October 20.
This development follows a decision in early July by the Reading City Council, which voted to adopt a resolution invoking a curative amendment process for the city’s zoning ordinance. The Council declared the existing ordinance defective concerning data centers. The resolution effectively enacts a 180-day moratorium, during which no developer is permitted to submit an application for a data center while the city works to adopt the new regulations and amend its zoning ordinance.
While the amendment process is underway, some members of the Reading Planning Commission have questioned the specifics outlined in the proposed data center ordinance, suggesting they might be overreactive.