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Chester County staff report nine active data center projects; recommend top industrial zoning and Council approval
Summary
Economic development staff told council they have nine new active data center projects, more than in 2024 when there were none; planning staff recommended placing data centers in the county's ID three zone (the top industrial zone) and retaining Council final approval, while flagging noise as a common complaint.
Chester County economic development and planning staff reported updates on data-center interest at the March 9 workshop, saying the county has seen a sudden uptick in inquiries.
Assistant Director Karen Davison told council the county has "received 9 new active data center projects," noting that figure is "more than they have seen since 2024, in which there were zero." Director Robert Long said many of the better industrial sites in the region have already been taken in recent years, creating an opportunity for Chester County to attract projects it might otherwise have missed.
Planning Director Jeremy Ward briefed council on zoning approaches used in other counties and recommended that Chester County place data centers in the ID three zone, which he described as the county's top industrial zone, and keep final project approval with County Council. Ward also said the biggest complaint other counties reported after permitting data centers was noise.
Why this matters: Data centers can bring property-tax revenue and jobs but raise site-selection, land-use and community-impact questions, including noise and industrial compatibility. Council members were presented with staff recommendations but did not vote on a zoning change at the workshop.
Next steps: Staff recommended zoning direction (ID three) and indicated future ordinance language and project review procedures will be brought back to Council for action.
