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Township board and staff review proposed data center ordinance, flag noise testing and residential impacts
Summary
Silver Spring Township officials reviewed Ordinance No. 01 of 2026 to allow data centers in the I-2 zone; Township Manager Raymond Palmer said the Board of Supervisors will seek stricter noise controls and acoustic testing, and residents raised concerns about impacts on nearby neighborhoods.
Members of the Silver Spring Township Zoning Hearing Board, Township Manager Raymond Palmer and Zoning Officer Chelsea Leiby reviewed proposed Ordinance No. 01 of 2026 on June 8, which would add provisions to allow data centers in the General Industrial (I-2) zoning district and set criteria for conditional uses.
Manager Raymond Palmer said the review request originated with the Board of Supervisors and that supervisors intend to take a more stringent look at noise controls and to engage acoustical professionals to evaluate proposed standards. Chairman Donald Franklin recommended that any noise testing consider operating windows, the size of proposed facilities and noise from backup generators or other ancillary structures.
Clarance Bouchat, a member of the public, urged that the township consider the growing residential density abutting the I-2 district and expressed concern about the impact data centers could have on nearby neighborhoods.
The minutes record that the Board of Supervisors will likely revise the ordinance and that the zoning hearing board’s feedback is sought; no formal action or vote on the ordinance was taken at this meeting. The record indicates staff and the supervisors plan additional review and likely revisions ahead of a future meeting.
