Allentown to review amendments to its brand new data center ordinance this week
Allentown is reviewing amendments to its new data center zoning ordinance just one week after its approval, following public pushback that deemed the initial rules too lenient. Activists are demanding more stringent requirements for environmental protection, noise control, and larger buffers from residential areas. The city council plans to strengthen the regulations in response to these concerns.
One week after Allentown's City Council approved a new data center zoning ordinance, the city is already considering amendments to strengthen the regulations due to public opposition.
The initial ordinance, passed by a 4-2 vote, permits data centers in two industrial zoning districts by special exception, requiring a public hearing and vote from the city's zoning hearing board for each proposal. It mandates a 75-foot setback from public streets and 200 feet from residential, civic, or childcare areas, along with robust landscaping and thorough environmental, noise, and waterway studies.
However, anti-data center activists criticized the ordinance as too lenient, arguing that the 200-foot buffer is insufficient and demanding more stringent requirements for sustainable energy sources, noise reduction, and pollution control. The City Council's agenda includes reviewing unspecified amendments to address these concerns, which will involve public notice, hearings, and review from the Lehigh Valley and Allentown Planning Commissions.
Notably, the new ordinance will not affect a pending proposal to convert a vacant warehouse at 2401 Emmaus Ave. into a data center, as its developers applied before the ordinance's passage. This project, located next to homes, businesses, and a nonprofit assisting children, has been a focal point of the ongoing data center discussion in Allentown.