Whitemarsh Township set to vote to advertise data center ordinance on August 13th
Whitemarsh Township in Pennsylvania is progressing with a new ordinance to regulate data centers. The proposed ordinance would allow data centers by conditional use in six zoning districts and outlines regulations concerning distances from sensitive areas, energy generation, noise, and decommissioning. The Township Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on August 13th to advertise a public hearing for the ordinance.
Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, is actively working to adopt a new ordinance to regulate data center development within its borders. On July 15th, the township's planning commission reviewed a draft ordinance, which was developed with input from a Montgomery County planner.
The proposed regulations would permit data centers by conditional use in six of the township's zoning districts. It also includes specific requirements regarding setbacks from sensitive areas, energy generation, noise control, and decommissioning plans. The ordinance's framework utilized guidance from a document created by Montgomery County in collaboration with Chester County, as well as a model ordinance provided by PennFuture, an environmental advocacy organization.
The next step for the ordinance is its inclusion on the August 13th agenda for the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors. During this meeting, the supervisors will consider whether to formally advertise a public hearing for the proposed ordinance. Following this hearing, the board will be able to proceed with a vote on its adoption.