Doylestown Township moves to block data center applications while crafting zoning rules
Doylestown Township supervisors have initiated a 180-day curative amendment process to develop zoning rules for data centers, temporarily freezing all new applications. This action addresses a gap in the current ordinance that does not define or regulate data centers. The township aims to establish clear definitions and development standards within the next six months.
Doylestown Township supervisors recently voted to initiate a 180-day curative amendment process aimed at regulating data centers, which effectively freezes new data center applications for six months. Township solicitor Peter Nelson advised that while data centers are a lawful use in Pennsylvania, Doylestown's current zoning ordinance does not explicitly define or regulate them.
The curative amendment process allows the township to declare the ordinance's omission as "substantively invalid," providing a temporary halt on applications while new zoning rules are drafted. Officials will focus on defining what qualifies as a data center and considering potential restrictions, such as proximity to residential areas, over the next six months.
Nelson clarified that this specific curative amendment is limited to data centers and cannot be reused for three years, meaning other undefined land uses would require the standard ordinance amendment process. The vote marks the beginning of the rule-making period, not the adoption of final zoning regulations.