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East Rockhill authorizes review of draft data-center zoning ordinance with 50-acre and 45-foot limits after public comment
Summary
The board authorized Planning Commission and county review of a proposed data-center zoning ordinance contingent on amendments to require a 50-acre minimum tract and a 45-foot maximum building height; a resident warned data-center owners may not prioritize local residents' concerns.
The East Rockhill Township Board of Supervisors on March 24, 2026 authorized township and county planning staff to review a draft Data Center and Zoning Ordinance but attached specific conditions for further consideration.
On a motion by Supervisor Gary Volovnik, seconded by Supervisor Jim Nietupski, the Board voted unanimously to send the draft ordinance to the East Rockhill Planning Commission and the Bucks County Planning Commission for review contingent upon amending the draft to require a 50-acre minimum tract and to cap building heights at 45 feet. Township Solicitor Will Oetinger presented the motion and the Board approved it without further amendment.
Resident Mark Ezzo raised concerns during public comment. Ezzo stated he has computer experience and "cautioned the Board the owners of the data centers don’t care about residents," urging caution as the ordinance is developed and reviewed by planning staff. The comment followed earlier public comment at the meeting in which Ezzo cited a newspaper report that DR Horton had purchased a 66-acre development with 198 units and expressed worries about impacts to well water.
The Board’s action directs planning staff to evaluate the draft with the specified acreage and height constraints and return recommendations; no zoning changes were adopted at the meeting. The authorization begins the formal review process and does not itself approve any data-center development permit.
