Columbia Borough Council prevents data center construction via new zoning ordinance
Columbia Borough Council passed a zoning ordinance preventing any new data centers from being built on McGinness Airport property. This action follows the council's previous unanimous denial of a data center bid from Saadia Holdings LLC and is seen by residents as a win for protecting land, water, and power resources.
The Columbia Borough Council in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has enacted a new zoning ordinance, effectively preventing any data center development at the McGinness Airport property. The ordinance was approved by a 4-3 vote, marking the culmination of a community-led effort to organize residents against such projects.
This recent action follows a unanimous vote in May by the borough council to deny a specific bid from data center developer Saadia Holdings LLC for a project at the same airport location. Rob Misciagna, a local resident and member of the advocacy group Lancaster Stands Up, stated that the successful vote was due to a months-long campaign to protect the area's land, water, and power resources from what he described as "big tech." The council is also reportedly in the process of drafting additional regulations concerning data centers.