Erie County proposes rules for data centers. Where would they apply?

Erie County is considering a new amendment to its subdivision and land development ordinance aimed at establishing regulations for data center development. This proposed ordinance would specifically apply to municipalities within Erie County that currently lack their own land development guidelines.

The Erie County Planning Commission is slated to review the draft during its meeting on June 11 at the Girard Borough Municipal Building. If the planners recommend the regulations, they will proceed to a public hearing and subsequent consideration by the Erie County Council this summer. According to the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development, the regulations are necessary to prevent data centers from being located in inappropriate areas, such as outside industrial zones, and to ensure they undergo proper special exception processes in areas without existing guidelines.

Among the municipalities that would be affected by these proposed county-level regulations are Amity, Concord, Conneaut, Elk Creek, LeBoeuf, Union, and Wayne townships, as well as Cranesville, Elgin, Mill Village, Platea, and Wattsburg boroughs. The proposed amendment is designed to address a variety of regulatory aspects for data centers and related facilities within these areas.