Lower Merion Weighs Data Center Zoning Limits
Lower Merion Township is considering new zoning rules that would confine future data centers to a narrow industrial area in Bala Cynwyd. The proposed ordinance would impose height and residential setback limits and require studies addressing water, wastewater, drought response, electricity use and facility decommissioning before advancing to a final vote.
Lower Merion Township officials are considering an ordinance that would regulate data centers as a distinct land use for the first time. The proposal would limit facilities to the township’s Light Industrial district along the Schuylkill River in Bala Cynwyd, cap their height at 60 feet, require a 1,000-foot setback from residential zoning and mandate water and wastewater capacity studies, drought plans and decommissioning plans.
The Lower Merion Planning Commission is scheduled to review the proposal and make a recommendation, followed by consideration by the township’s Building and Planning Committee on Nov. 11. Public comment and committee feedback would precede any vote by the full Board of Commissioners, meaning the rules have not yet been adopted.
The proposal reflects broader Pennsylvania concerns about data centers’ demands on electricity and water. Other Montgomery County municipalities, including Whitemarsh, West Conshohocken and Upper Merion, have pursued or adopted similar regulations amid disputes over large proposed data center developments.