Lancaster planning meeting hears public concern after zoning ruling for 216 Greenfield Road data center

Lancaster City Planning Commission members and public speakers pressed city staff on the process and public records after a zoning officer determined that a proposed electronic data processing facility at 216 Greenfield Road fits the zoning classification "wholesale trade and storage." The commission was told a Phase 2 land development plan for the site was submitted and that a data-center zoning text amendment will be introduced to Lancaster City Council on Oct. 6 and routed to the planning commission for review later in October.

Why it matters: The zoning officer's classification affects whether the developer may pursue building permits as a permitted use under the current ordinance, and several members of the public said they lack documentation that the zoning officer says was reviewed. Without those records, residents warned, it is harder to evaluate whether the city's determination matched what was proposed to staff.

Tony D'Astra, a Planning Commission member, read portions of the zoning officer's decision during public comment, saying, "After a review of the information you and your clients provided to me and other members of the city's…