Franklin County passes ordinance to help towns regulate data centers -
The Franklin County commissioners unanimously adopted an ordinance on May 20 to help its municipalities regulate future data center developments. This amendment to the county's land develop ordinances comes after multiple discussions and public hearings where concerns about water, power, and environmental impacts were raised. While no data centers have been proposed yet, the ordinance aims to prepare towns, especially those without zoning, for potential projects.
The Franklin County commissioners in Pennsylvania unanimously approved an ordinance on May 20, aimed at assisting municipalities in regulating potential data center developments within the county. The amendment to the county's subdivision and land develop ordinances (SALDO) was initiated by Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst in late January and followed multiple discussions and two public hearings.
This legislation is unusual for Pennsylvania, where land use and zoning typically fall under municipal authority. Commissioner John Flannery emphasized the necessity of the county's intervention, particularly for the approximately half of the county's communities that lack zoning regulations, leaving them susceptible to large-scale data center projects with significant power and water demands. Despite no data centers currently being proposed in Franklin County, commissioners felt it was crucial to establish regulatory measures proactively.
The ordinance is not self-executing; individual municipalities must adopt it or a modified version. Commissioners Horst, Flannery, and Bob Ziobrowski acknowledged the document's imperfections but highlighted its flexibility for future amendments by towns or the county. Public feedback during hearings revealed widespread concerns about data centers' impact on local water supplies, the power grid, environment, landscape, noise, and health, leading to some revisions, including the removal of a requirement for data centers to generate 25% of their power from solar.