Planning Commission drops October 1 public hearing on data center, asks city to publish timeline and materials

Lancaster City Planning Commission members voted to cancel the public hearing portion of their Oct. 1 meeting on the city’s initial zoning determination for a proposed data center, and they asked staff to make the project schedule and related materials publicly available.

The commission discussed multiple paths for public engagement after staff said City Council and the zoning process were already scheduled to consider the matter. Chris Deltz, identified in a memo as the city’s director of Community Planning and Economic Development, told commissioners that, because the planning commission has no authority over zoning interpretations, the city administration would not participate in the commission’s separate public hearing on the topic. The administration’s memo, received by commissioners the day of the meeting, said the administration understood the commission’s desire to engage but would not take part in that hearing.

Why it matters: Commissioners said they wanted public clarity about how the zoning officer reached the initial determination and how the city will handle forthcoming text-amendment hearings and appeals. The item drew sustained discussion from multiple commission members and members of the public. Commissioners voiced frustration that some documentation that reporters had obtained via right-to-know requests was not yet published on the city’s data center FAQ page.

What the commission decided: After discussion about timing and the allowed procedural options, the commission voted to: (1) cancel the public hearing portion of its Oct. 1 meeting but keep the data-center matter on the agenda for discussion at that meeting; and (2) formally request that the city clearly communicate and publish the timeline of upcoming hearings and milestones related to the data-center zoning matter (Council committee dates, Zoning Hearing Board hearing, and future Planning Commission/Council dates). Commissioners also discussed requesting in memo form the documents provided to reporters via right-to-know (RTK) requests or, if legal constraints prevent that, a staff-prepared memo summarizing how the zoning determination was reached.

Commissioners’ concerns and requests: Commissioners said their interest was educational and focused on public transparency, not an attempt to exercise decision-making authority the commission does not have. Several commissioners said they wanted the record and the public to have access to materials entered into the record elsewhere (for example, items given to reporters through RTK requests) so residents could prepare for the quasi-judicial proceedings at the Zoning Hearing Board and later hearings before Council. One commissioner asked that key dates be listed on the FAQ page for the data center so the public can easily follow milestones.

Vote and next steps: The commission approved the motions to cancel the hearing portion and to request publication of the schedule and materials. Staff said the council committee date (Oct. 6), the Zoning Hearing Board appeal (Sept. 22), and the commission’s regular October meeting (Oct. 15) would all be available as upcoming public opportunities. Commissioners asked staff to return with either the RTK-provided documents or a memo summarizing the zoning officer’s process and rationale after the Zoning Hearing Board and Council committee hearings occur.

Ending: The commission kept the data-center matter on its agenda for future discussion and directed staff to improve public access to scheduling information and materials about the zoning determination and pending text amendment.