Union Township supervisors move forward on draft data center ordinance

The Union Township Board of Supervisors, during its April 8 meeting, granted permission to the township solicitor to forward a draft data center ordinance to the Lebanon County Planning Department and the township planning commission for their review and feedback. Township Manager Brent McFeaters stated that the ordinance intends to confine data centers to industrial zoning regions within the municipality. He clarified that no developers have yet contacted the township regarding data center construction. Solicitor Paul Bametzreider emphasized the importance of enacting a data center ordinance sooner rather than later to establish control and preparedness should a developer propose a project. He highlighted the risk of developers potentially building on agricultural land without such regulations. McFeaters also voiced significant concerns about the potential strain on resources like electricity and water, advocating for language in the ordinance that would mandate developers to cover infrastructure costs to prevent them from being passed on to residents.