Jenkins Twp. postpones data center ordinance vote after public hearing

Jenkins Township supervisors have decided to postpone a vote on a proposed ordinance designed to regulate data centers, following a public hearing. The initial ordinance, introduced in April, was amended and presented on Monday night, but supervisors chose to table the vote to allow more time for revisions based on public feedback.

A key concern raised by residents of neighboring Pittston Township was that the ordinance's provision for a 1,000-foot buffer from residential districts only applied to Jenkins Township, not explicitly mentioning Pittston Township properties adjacent to the proposed Data Center Overlay District. Supervisor Stanley Rovinski assured residents that the board would explore legal options to include and protect Pittston Township. Other residents expressed general opposition to data centers, citing concerns about water usage and the loss of farmland, questioning why a ban isn't possible.

Thomas Shepstone of Shepstone Consultants explained that the state Municipal Planning Code requires municipalities to allow for all legal uses, making an outright ban legally challengeable. He suggested mandating public water use for data centers to address well water concerns. The proposed ordinance includes regulations such as a 65-foot height limit, a 1,000-foot setback from residential zones, mandatory community and fiscal impact analyses, buffer screening plans, and closed-loop water cooling systems. The supervisors, including Solicitor Joe Blazosek, emphasized that no developer has yet submitted plans and the township is protected by pending ordinance law, aiming to enact a robust ordinance to lawfully regulate potential data center development.