Luzerne County zoning plan for data centers under legal review

Luzerne County's law office is currently conducting a legal review of a proposed zoning ordinance amendment aimed at regulating data center development within 19 municipalities that do not enforce their own zoning ordinances. The proposal seeks to limit data centers to specific zoning districts and mandate approval from the county's zoning board, according to Ted Ritsick, head of the community planning and economic development division.

The county planning commission, which introduced the amendment in February, intends to vote on a revised version and recommend it to the county council once the legal review is finalized. The county council will then introduce the ordinance and hold a public hearing before a final vote. This initiative comes after more than a year of work by the county planning & zoning department to address the increasing demand for data centers, which are essential for artificial intelligence and cloud services, and are currently not covered by the existing zoning code.

The proposed amendment categorizes data centers by size: "hyperscale" (100,000+ sq ft), "major" (20,000 to less than 100,000 sq ft), and "edge/minor" (less than 20,000 sq ft). Hyperscale and major data centers would be permitted by special exception in heavy industrial, light industrial, and mining districts, while edge/minor centers could also be permitted in general and highway business districts, all subject to approval by the county zoning hearing board.

Furthermore, the ordinance outlines requirements for visual screening, noise reduction, power-supply usage, water and sewer connections, parking, and a comprehensive emergency response plan.