Lower Gwynedd Township to consider declaring an 180-day moratorium on data centers while it updates zoning code to establish regulations
Lower Gwynedd Township's Board of Supervisors is considering a resolution for a 180-day moratorium on data center development. This pause would allow the township to update its zoning ordinance and establish regulations for data centers. The proactive measure aims to address potential impacts on land, electricity, and water resources, and to protect the community from legal vulnerabilities due to the current lack of specific data center zoning standards.
The Lower Gwynedd Board of Supervisors is set to consider a resolution on July 28th to impose a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications. This measure would deem the township's current zoning ordinance invalid regarding data centers, allowing officials time to amend the code and establish specific regulations. The proposed moratorium is a proactive step, as there are no currently announced data center applications in Lower Gwynedd Township.
Assistant Township Manager Jamie Worman outlined the necessity for such a resolution in a July 20th memorandum. Worman highlighted that data centers, which are significant consumers of land, electricity, and water, can bring unique impacts related to noise, lighting, and utility infrastructure. The absence of specific zoning standards for data centers in Lower Gwynedd's current ordinance creates a legal vulnerability, potentially allowing a developer to challenge the code's validity and seek approval outside of locally adopted regulations.
The resolution aims to utilize the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code's curative amendment process, providing the township with up to 180 days to develop and adopt comprehensive zoning regulations. While state law prohibits municipalities from outright banning legitimate land uses like data centers, it allows for reasonable regulations to protect public health, safety, and welfare.
The initiative follows a trend among other municipalities; Montgomery County, in collaboration with Chester County, released a model data center ordinance in April, recommending data centers as conditional uses in industrial zones. Nearby Whitemarsh Township has also begun drafting a data center-focused ordinance using these county recommendations, alongside a model from Penn Future. Lower Gwynedd has not yet specified which model ordinances it will consider.