Douglass sets hearing date for regional planning withdrawal
Douglass Township in Montgomery County, PA, is initiating withdrawal from the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee following tensions with North Coventry over data center development. This move will require the remaining seven municipalities in the compact to establish their own data center zoning regulations. Residents have voiced concerns regarding the environmental impacts of data centers, including water use, air pollution, and noise.
Douglass Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is proceeding with its plan to withdraw from the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee, with a public hearing scheduled for July 6. Following the hearing, supervisors will vote on a formal resolution. This withdrawal, which will take one year to finalize, will remove the existing zoning protection for the other seven member towns against data center proposals, as Douglass Township's updated zoning code already permits data centers.
The decision stemmed from increasing tensions, particularly after North Coventry commissioned a study of Douglass parcels for data center development without informing Douglass officials. Supervisors Chairman Josh Stouch indicated the desire for Douglass Township's interests to align more closely with towns in the Boyertown Area School District. Following a May vote to begin the withdrawal process, Douglass officials met with the Montgomery County Planning Commission to discuss their rationale.
As a direct consequence, several of the remaining municipalities in the regional compact, including Upper Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove, and North Coventry, are now actively developing their own data center zoning ordinances within the one-year transition period. The broader region is experiencing a surge in data center proposals, with projects in East Vincent, Limerick, East Whiteland, and Upper Merion. Residents have expressed significant concerns about the environmental and community impacts of these developments, citing issues such as water usage, air pollution from generators, noise, and effects on wildlife and property values.