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Pocono planning commission recommends data‑center zoning amendment for industrial district
Summary
The Pocono Township Planning Commission voted to recommend a zoning text amendment that confines data centers to the industrial district after public comment urging stronger review standards for battery storage, fire suppression and low‑frequency noise studies.
The Pocono Township Planning Commission voted to recommend a zoning text amendment that would limit data centers to the township’s industrial district and send the proposal to the Board of Commissioners for final action.
The commission heard a public commenter who urged additional safeguards before approval. Carrie Christensen, a Pocono Township resident, said the proposed ordinance should not allow applicants to unilaterally select ‘‘qualified professionals’’ to perform required studies because that could create ‘‘more room for potential bias.’’ She recommended the township consider pre‑approved consultant options and asked for battery‑storage–specific fire suppression language and studies that account for C‑weighted (infrasound) noise, which she said can cause sleep and concentration problems.
The Monroe County Planning Commission’s comments, reviewed by the chair, generally supported locating data centers in industrial districts, a placement the township says can satisfy municipal obligations to accommodate land uses without permitting those uses by right across all zones. During discussion, a committee member asked whether concentrating data centers in industrial areas that already contain active businesses (for example, Sanofi and a flour mill) could create redevelopment issues. Lisa Pereira, township solicitor, explained that redevelopment of already‑developed industrial parcels is common and that labeling data centers as a ‘‘conditional use’’ does not prohibit them; instead, it subjects proposals to extra scrutiny during review.
The commission ultimately moved to recommend approval of the zoning amendment to the Board of Commissioners; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The planning commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for consideration; any future development proposals would be subject to site‑specific review, permitting and any technical studies required at that stage.
