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Supervisors approve sending JMZO data‑center ordinance to jointure amid resident concerns over 25‑acre threshold
Summary
The board voted to forward a joint zoning amendment that would define and permit data centers (minimum lot size 25 acres) to the jointure for a joint public hearing; residents urged stricter limits and questioned whether the jointure’s QAA district leaves Newtown adequately protected.
The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors voted on June 24 to send a proposed JMZO amendment that creates a defined data‑center use to the jointure for advertising and a joint public hearing.
Ms. DeSchong, reporting for the Planning Commission, said the amendment adds data centers as a permitted use with standards for lot size (minimum 25 acres), setbacks, and rules addressing noise, buffering and lighting. "The members voted to recommend that the board of supervisors adopt the ordinance and pass it to the jointure for full approval of all jointure partners," Ms. DeSchong said.
Supervisors and members of the public pressed whether the draft offers sufficient protection for Newtown. The solicitor and other supervisors said the jointure’s QAA (quarry agricultural) zoning district available in Wrightstown is the only jointure district likely to permit a data center. That, they said, effectively limits where data centers could locate within the jointure. One supervisor warned that data‑center developers bring deep legal resources and could challenge zoning if provisions are not carefully drafted.
A public commenter noted that many townships adopting model ordinances use far larger minimum lot sizes and broader protections; the commenter said the 25‑acre threshold is minimal and cited PennFuture guidance calling for roughly 100 acres in some model language. The board discussed adopting a stopgap version now and returning to refine the ordinance (a "V2") later to make it more "ironclad," while supporters argued acting now limits the chance that a developer files first.
Why it matters: The JMZO amendment would create a new, land‑use category with long‑term implications for jointure municipalities. Even though the initial draft restricts data centers to large lots in Wrightstown, residents and some supervisors said the threshold and standards should be tightened to reduce legal vulnerability and local impacts including noise, water and traffic.
Next steps: The ordinance will go to a joint public hearing among the jointure partners (Newtown, Upper Makefield and Wrightstown) as part of the advertised process; the board discussed a follow‑up revision after jointure review.
