Upper Hanover data center proposal filed just hours before township adopted new zoning rules
Hanover Development LP filed plans for a 150,000-square-foot data center in Upper Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, just hours before new, more restrictive zoning regulations were adopted. This timing means the proposal will be reviewed under the previous, more lenient ordinance. The developer also filed a legal challenge, and the project faces ongoing public concerns regarding environmental impacts and noise.
Hanover Development LP submitted plans for a 150,000-square-foot data center on 37 acres in Upper Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, on June 9, mere hours before the township's supervisors unanimously approved new, more restrictive zoning regulations for such facilities. Due to the timely submission and its completeness, the application will be reviewed under the prior, less stringent ordinance, effectively bypassing the stricter new rules that address building height, setbacks, noise, water use, and environmental impacts.
The developer has also initiated a substantive validity challenge, arguing that if data centers were not permitted in the light industrial district under the old ordinance, then the township's prior zoning failed to provide for a legitimate land use as per Pennsylvania law. A hearing for the proposal is not anticipated until at least October, following an extension agreed upon by the developer.
Meanwhile, Upper Hanover Township officials are considering ways to fortify the recently adopted ordinance, prompted by a well-attended public meeting where residents expressed significant concerns. Public feedback highlighted issues such as water consumption, electrical demand, noise, air pollution, and potential impacts on property values, mirroring discussions around larger data center proposals in nearby Limerick and East Vincent townships.