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Council reviews draft data‑center ordinance, agrees to map revisions and notice steps
Summary
Council members reviewed a draft data‑center ordinance and a proposed brown M‑3 overlay strip on the borough zoning map; staff said the land‑use committee has reviewed the map and the borough will prepare required mailed and newspaper notices before drafting an ordinance for council action.
Council discussed a draft data‑center ordinance and an associated zoning‑map overlay at the March working session, and members directed staff to prepare the map revision and the notice packet required for a zoning‑map change.
"We put together a draft data center ordinance… and we had some questions about where we wanted that to be on our map," a council member leading the item said, noting the land‑use committee had reviewed the overlay and staff was waiting to prepare formal drafting and notices.
Why it matters: The ordinance would create a mapped overlay (described in the discussion as a brown M‑3 strip) to identify where data centers could be sited. Zoning‑map changes require mailed notice to property owners within the changed zoning area and typical newspaper posting; a text amendment would follow a different notice procedure.
Staff described the procedural steps: revise the zoning map to show the overlay, circulate mailed notice to owners in the affected parcels, post required newspaper notices and coordinate review with the planning commission and county economic development (45‑day review windows were mentioned for certain actions).
Council members also discussed technical placement of the overlay and confirmed the draft aligns with the land‑use committee’s crayon‑style mockup; staff said they will forward the drawn map and proceed with drafting by the borough solicitor or planning consultant for ordinance introduction and later action.
What happens next: Staff will finalize the map revisions and prepare the formal notice and ordinance draft for council review; the land‑use committee will hear related matters such as cell‑tower zoning on April 15.
