Blakely council authorizes advertisement of amended zoning ordinance; residents press for review amid data center concerns

Blakely Borough Council on Oct. 20 authorized advertising an amended zoning ordinance for formal consideration at its Nov. 17 meeting, and residents used the public-remarks period to press for time to review proposed changes tied to data center proposals.

Solicitor Atty. Conaboy asked council to authorize advertising the amended Blakely Borough Zoning Ordinance for passage at the Nov. 17 meeting; the motion carried by voice vote (all ayes). During public remarks, Lisa Wilson asked where residents could obtain a copy of the amended ordinance. Borough Secretary Christopher Paone said the ordinance and map would be posted on the borough website the following morning and that paper copies could be made on request, noting the document is nearly 200 pages.

Resident Brandi Sokoloski expressed concern about proposed data center provisions and asked when she could review the amended ordinance; she also asked about progress on a proposed community center. Mr. Paone said the borough is still seeking funding for the community center and that much design work had been slowed in recent weeks because of the data center discussions.

Why it matters: zoning amendments can reshape permitted uses and development standards; residents indicated they want time to review changes relevant to data center proposals. The transcript does not include the ordinance text or specific zoning edits; the council authorized advertisement only, which starts the formal public-notice process.

What happens next: the ordinance will be advertised for public review and returned to council for passage consideration on Nov. 17, 2025.