Trending
The City of Williamsport is now better prepared for any potential data center application that might arise.
While there aren't any such applications on the radar, officials here have crafted a draft ordinance in light of the ever-growing development of data centers. The draft zoning ordinance amendment is in the city official document center packet on its website.
It is the result of several months of work including input by solicitors and communication back and forth between City Council and the administration.
Many municipalities have been working on similar updates as data centers -- facilities used primarily for the storage, management, processing, and transmission of digital data, which houses computer or network equipment, systems, servers, appliances and other associated components related to digital data operations -- are being fought tooth and nail by many proposed host communities.
Council voted 6-0 to declare the city's 1998 zoning ordinance "substantively invalid" because it completely lacked rules for data centers and their necessary power-generating or ancillary infrastructure. It was an action taken that would not ban data centers, nor approve any specific project.
Instead, it paused potential development while the city drafted a "curative amendment" to establish legal and operational guidelines.
Under Pennsylvania law, municipalities cannot completely prohibit data centers. But they can amend zoning to define and add specific requirements for data centers and data center accessory uses.
The draft ordinance amending zoning is part of a preparation by the officials because the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code authorizes the city to enact, amend, and repeal its city zoning ordinance.
Ancillary structures for data centers might include air handlers, power generators, water cooling and storage facilities, utility substations, and other associated utility infrastructure to support sustained operations. They also require accessory use or structures secondary and incidental to them and an electric substation.
The draft ordinance's language includes places that are identified as "sensitive receptors," such as schools, preschools, day care centers, in-home daycares, health facilities such as hospitals, long term care facilities, retirement and nursing homes, assisted living facilities, community centers, places of worship, playgrounds, parks (excluding trails), campgrounds, prisons, dormitories, and any residence where such residence is not located on a parcel with an existing industrial, commercial, or unpermitted use as determined by the zoning officer.
The draft of the amended zoning ordinance is open to review on the city Website.
To date, no application for a data center in the city exists.
The one proposal for a data center was made by Danko Holdings II and Fishlips LLC, which submitted an application on April 28 for a data center to be located between John Brady Drive and the Susquehanna River in Muncy Township.
The project plans feature three data center buildings, six water tanks, two stormwater basins, water and sewage treatment facilities, a substation, and a security building. That same day in April the township supervisors passed a nine-month moratorium on data centers and high-intensity data processing facilities.