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Allentown planning director outlines data-center zoning rules; committee advances Bill 20
Summary
City planning staff proposed an ordinance to add a formal 'data center' use to the Allentown zoning code with location limits, setbacks, design standards, and required environmental and noise studies; the CED committee voted to advance the bill to the regular council meeting.
Jennifer Gomez, Allentown’s planning director, presented Bill 20 to the Community and Economic Development Committee, saying the ordinance adds a formal definition for "data center" and related accessory uses, identifies specific industrial districts where the use would be allowed, and prescribes siting, design and environmental review requirements. "We also have defined accessory data centers so we can review all of the equipment associated with that as well," Gomez said.
The draft ordinance would allow data centers in selected industrial and mixed industrial/commercial zoning districts, set a size threshold (generally for facilities over 50,000 square feet), and require minimum acreage (five or eight acres depending on the proposal). It sets a 75-foot street setback, 200-foot buffers from certain sensitive uses (residential, civic, institutional and child-care), 50-foot property-line setbacks, a 25-foot landscape buffer, building-design requirements and a 50-foot maximum height (up to 70 feet where the district permits).
Gomez emphasized mandatory technical studies before approval, including environmental-impact analyses, noise and vibration studies and water-utilization reviews, and said the city could hire a third-party reviewer if needed. "We've received positive feedback from the Allentown Advisory Council, from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and a letter of support from the Allentown Planning Commission," she said.
Committee members questioned how many parcels in the city would be eligible; staff said they would provide a site-availability estimate before the public hearing and that the number currently appeared small. Council members also probed operational issues: whether fuel-delivery routes for backup generators were covered (staff said that specific fuel-delivery routing was not defined but that the fire department reviews storage, batteries and suppression systems under fire code), and how post-construction noise complaints would be handled. On enforcement, staff said zoning violations must follow standard zoning procedures and that additional legal measures could be explored if a use becomes a problem.
Environmental groups and residents spoke during public comment. Kyle Rofsky, chair of the Allentown Environmental Advisory Council, urged support for the bill’s environmental provisions, saying professional studies and technical review will help identify and mitigate impacts to water, air and urban infrastructure. A resident who identified himself as Samuel asked whether the ordinance specifies numeric noise limits for 24/7 operations and how re-testing is paid for; staff said the draft includes provisions for pre- and post-construction sound analysis and that the city enforces violations under existing noise and health-code authorities.
The committee voted to advance Bill 20 to the regular council meeting for further consideration.
