North Coventry supervisors oppose data center plan
North Coventry supervisors unanimously voted to oppose a proposed 85,987-square-foot data center planned for the former Coventry Mall. This decision follows strong public opposition and concerns about the application's completeness and potential impacts on water resources. The matter will now proceed to the township's independent zoning hearing board, with the supervisors' solicitor actively opposing the plan.
The North Coventry Township supervisors have unanimously voted to oppose a proposal for an 85,987-square-foot data center at the former Coventry Mall. This decision came after a crowded public meeting where numerous residents voiced strong objections, citing concerns about the application's inadequacy and potential impacts on local water wells. Township Solicitor Eric Brown is set to actively challenge the application before the independent zoning hearing board.
The application, filed by PGOB Coventry Holdings and Pennmark Management Company Inc., seeks a special exception zoning approval. Critics, including State Sen. Katie Muth (D-44th Dist.), have labeled the application "incomplete" and questioned the developers' classification of the data center as a "public service facility" under commercial zoning. Township Zoning Officer Cheryl Franckowiak also stated this classification was "erroneous."
The supervisors' vote serves as a recommendation to the zoning hearing board, which makes the final ruling. While no hearing date has been set, the township plans to legally oppose the project. The situation is complicated by state law requiring municipalities to zone for all uses, and North Coventry's current protection under a regional planning compact is set to expire next July, potentially exposing it to developer lawsuits if it lacks specific data center zoning. Additionally, Governor Josh Shapiro's recent executive order on data center "guardrails" may or may not apply to this application due to its submission date.