KENNTT SQUARE, PA — East Marlborough Township could adopt a 24-page data-center zoning ordinance Oct. 14 that would impose limits on electricity, water, noise, emissions and development before the municipality receives its first data-center application.
The proposed ordinance would allow data centers and data-center campuses as conditional uses in the Limited Industrial District, giving the Board of Supervisors authority to evaluate individual projects against the new standards.
Supervisors authorized advertisement of the ordinance Aug. 12. However, the township has not received a specific data-center proposal and identifies Oct. 14 as the target date for possible adoption.
The draft would require at least five acres for a data-center building of up to 100,000 square feet and 10 acres for larger buildings. Structures would be limited to 35 feet in height.
Data-center buildings would have to remain at least 500 feet from streets and designated sensitive receptors, including residences, schools, parks, and preserved land.
The proposal also sets maximum noise levels of 45 dBA during daytime hours and 40 dBA during nighttime hours and weekends.
Backup generators would have to meet Tier 4 emissions standards and generally could operate no more than 20 hours annually.
Electricity use is another focus. Applicants would have to provide utility studies detailing projected demand and proposed energy sources and demonstrate that a project would not affect surrounding electricity rates for five years.
Water requirements would include documentation showing sufficient public-water capacity, continuing water-use reporting and a drought-response plan. Groundwater and direct surface-water withdrawals could not be used for cooling.
The township has framed the ordinance as a way to establish development standards before receiving an application, rather than responding after a specific project has been proposed.
“Because of this, our most effective opportunity is to establish clear, strong, and legally defensible regulations now, before any specific proposal is presented,” township officials stated.
Officials said the approach is intended to protect the municipality while reducing the risk that zoning restrictions could be challenged as effectively excluding a legitimate land use.
The Planning Commission began publicly discussing a data-center ordinance June 2 and reviewed a draft July 7. A revised version went through another Planning Commission review Aug. 4 before supervisors authorized its advertisement Aug. 12.
The township updated its project status Sept. 3, identifying Oct. 14 as the targeted date for possible adoption.
Residents and other interested parties may submit comments to Township Manager Neil Lovekin at nlovekin@eastmarlborough.org.
The township’s data-center ordinance status page is https://www.eastmarlborough.org/data-center-ordinance/, and the complete advertised draft is available at https://www.eastmarlborough.org/wp-content/uploads/DataCenter_OrdinanceDRAFT_2.4.1.pdf.
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