EBT to vote on data center ordinance Oct. 12
East Buffalo Township in Pennsylvania is set to consider final approval for a new data center ordinance on October 12, following a public hearing. The proposed ordinance would restrict large data centers to industrial zones and require special exception approval for such projects. This ordinance is designed to establish specific conditions for data center development within the township.
East Buffalo Township in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, is scheduled to hold a public hearing on October 12 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss a new data center ordinance. Following public comments, the Board of Supervisors will consider the ordinance for final approval.
According to Supervisor Chair Jim Knight, the ordinance establishes specific conditions for data center approval, building on a previous ordinance from last year that regulated smaller-scale cryptocurrency and data mining centers. The new regulations primarily restrict large commercial data centers to the Industrial Zoning District (I-1) and mandate that such projects obtain approval as a special exception from the zoning hearing board. Smaller-scale projects, on the other hand, would go before the planning commission, with the supervisors making the final decision as a conditional use.
Township Manager Jolene Helwig clarified that large-scale data center projects are defined as those occupying more than three lot sizes, with potential sites currently including properties occupied by Giant, the Miller Center for Recreation and Wellness, or the Lewisburg Liquidation Center if those businesses were to close. Supervisor Tom Zorn also noted that data centers were a popular topic at a recent virtual meeting hosted by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.