Royersford Borough Council opted not to adopt a proposed zoning ordinance regulating data centers at its Tuesday meeting, deciding instead to make further revisions, including recommendations from the Montgomery County Planning Commission, before advertising the measure again for adoption.
The ordinance would define data centers and data center accessory uses and add specific requirements for them within the borough's zoning code. The borough's solicitor recommended adopting the ordinance as drafted so that some restrictions would be in the borough code.
"We can always have something on the books now which would allow for conditional use approval, and at least there's some kind of restrictions in place," the solicitor said. She cautioned that until an ordinance is adopted, there are no regulations governing data centers in Royersford.
Council members chose to defer. Councilor Tom Weikel said he preferred to complete the work correctly the first time rather than adopt a version that would require further changes.
The Montgomery County Planning Commission's recommendations discussed by council address sound levels, a drought response plan, an energy usage plan, renewable energy procurement, backup power and energy generating systems, and public outreach prior to any application. Council President Anil Dham said he agreed with all of the recommendations.
There are currently no data centers proposed in Royersford Borough. Municipalities across Pennsylvania have been updating their zoning codes in anticipation of potential applications amid a surge in proposed data center development, including large-scale projects in nearby Limerick and East Vincent townships.
Further Review Expected
Council directed that further amendments be drafted and authorized re-advertising once members are comfortable with the revised language. The solicitor noted the borough will have to re-advertise the ordinance because of the changes.
Whether the revised ordinance must return to the Montgomery County Planning Commission will depend on how substantially the final version differs from the current draft and whether the changes fall outside the scope of the county's recommendations, the solicitor said. She said she could not give a definitive answer until the final draft is complete.
The Royersford Planning Commission is expected to review the ordinance again because it had not seen the county's recommendations before conducting its own review. Dham said the county's review had been delayed beyond the typical 30-day window, which meant the borough commission did not have the county's recommendations when it considered the ordinance.
The local commission recommended approval of the ordinance revision at its September 14 meeting, pending consideration of suggested changes and a favorable county review.
Because another local review will be required, officials said the normal timeline could extend into November. They also noted that a special meeting could be advertised and held sooner, depending on how long it takes to complete the revisions.
