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Planners advise Watts Township to review curative amendment after same‑day ordinance submission
Summary
Staff urged Watts Township supervisors to consult their solicitor and hold the required curative‑amendment hearing after a landowner’s data‑center curative amendment arrived the same day the township enacted an ordinance; commissioners flagged a requested 95‑foot height and discussed decommissioning and emergency access.
The Perry County Planning Commission reviewed a landowner curative amendment and concurrent Watts Township ordinance that arrived on the same day and recommended the township’s supervisors consult their solicitor and follow the Municipalities Planning Code process.
Jason (staff) summarized the procedural concern: the landowner curative amendment was submitted the same day Watts Township enacted an ordinance, creating a sequencing question about which action should prevail. He said the board should "consult with their municipal solicitor regarding whether the landowner curative amendment should prevail over the ordinance" and that the curative amendment hearing should follow the required public‑notice timetable under the Municipalities Planning Code.
Commission discussion focused on substantive requests in the amendment, including a proposed 95‑foot height for data‑center structures and related safety and decommissioning obligations. Staff and members noted 95 feet appeared unusually tall compared with typical industrial heights and reminded the board to consider emergency‑service access, suppression systems, groundwater protection and bonding for decommissioning costs if the township permits taller structures.
Commissioners recommended conditioning a formal recommendation on the township completing required hearings and solicitors’ review and suggested the applicant and township engage emergency services and cultural‑resource consultants as appropriate. The planning commission voted to send a review letter and guidance to Watts Township staff to ensure proper process and to highlight the technical concerns identified during its review.
