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Residents press Montgomery County commissioners on proposed Limerick data center; board says zoning authority lies with municipalities
Summary
During extended public comment on March 19, dozens of residents and advocacy groups urged county commissioners to support a statewide moratorium on large AI/data centers, raising concerns about water use, grid strain, noise and local transparency; commissioners said zoning authority rests with municipalities and pledged follow-up.
A long public-comment period at Montgomery County’s March 19 Board of Commissioners meeting focused on proposed large data-center developments and AI buildouts, with residents urging commissioners to press the state for a moratorium and raise concerns about electricity demand, water use and community impacts.
Multiple speakers, including members of the Power Interfaith coalition, said a proposed Limerick Township data center could strain local water supplies and the electric grid, produce continuous noise from backup generators and potentially depress nearby property values. "We are deeply concerned about the environmental footprint with the increased use of fossil fuels, the strain on the energy grid and the tremendous draw of — it could be up to a million gallons of water a day," said Susan Myers of Upper Frederick in public comment. Ms. Myers asked the county to support a statewide pause on approvals.
Mark Height of Limerick and Power Interfaith told commissioners the county can help by educating residents and lobbying state officials, but noted that zoning and approval authority for data centers typically rests at the municipal level. "We don't have authority under Pennsylvania law to enact such a moratorium," he told the panel, urging the county to coordinate educational programming and to encourage state-level action.
Several callers cited examples in other states where dense data-center buildouts have raised local utility rates and water concerns. Speakers also criticized the use of nondisclosure agreements with developers, saying those agreements limit community review and late-stage revelations of projects.
Commissioners did not announce a formal policy change at the meeting. One commissioner said the county would continue to convene stakeholders and review options for resident education and state advocacy. The county also agreed to look into a March 11 forum involving ICE that some commenters said intersected with other agenda concerns.
The public-comment block also included other topics such as procurement and budget questions, Meals on Wheels support and calls for a motorcycle-safety proclamation. No motions on data centers were introduced during the session.
