Council to propose curative zoning amendment to address data centers

At the June 23 Committee of the Whole, Council member Jonah Milliken introduced two related resolutions aimed at preparing Williamsport's zoning ordinance for data‑center development. The first resolution would declare parts of the zoning ordinance substantively invalid to the extent they exclude data centers and certain ancillary uses; the second resolution would authorize preparing a curative amendment to correct the code and provide a clear permitting path.

Milliken told the committee the objective is to update the ordinance so the city is prepared to evaluate incoming proposals fairly and to ensure zoning language reflects present‑day uses and technologies. He said the resolutions are procedural steps: declaring the ordinance invalid in the identified respects and then initiating the statutory curative amendment process. The sponsor said the items would return for a vote at the Thursday meeting.

Council discussion confirmed the city has limited suitable land for large data‑center footprints but that the code should be updated to either accommodate or clearly prohibit such development based on local policy goals.