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Residents and environmental advisory committee press board for clarity on proposed data center ordinance
Summary
Public commenters and the township's Environmental Advisory Committee asked the Board of Supervisors for clearer timing and communication about a draft data center ordinance; staff said a planning-commission-recommended draft is under board review and may be revised, returned to planning, or advertised for public notice in the near term.
Public comments at the Robinson Township Board of Supervisors meeting focused on the status of a draft data center ordinance and how residents and advisory committees should submit and follow up on comments.
Claudia Behar, who identified herself as township president, asked during public comment whether the board could discuss the data center ordinance earlier in the agenda and asked "Are we gonna discuss it now?" Kate Kennedy, who introduced herself as chair of the township's Environmental Advisory Committee, told the board she had been unable to tell whether suggested EAC edits had been reviewed and asked "where am I putting my energy and my time so that I can be there at the right place at the right time." Kennedy said she and other EAC members had not seen residents in support of data-center development and that the issue had generated sustained public interest.
A board representative said a draft ordinance recommended by the planning commission is under review by the board, noting the board could make draft changes, send the draft back to planning, or authorize it to be advertised for public notice. Staff identified several technical areas under review, including setback criteria for residential zoning, noise standards and lot-size requirements, and cautioned against rushing language that could be legally challenged or inadvertently exclusionary.
The board told EAC members to expect additional review time and said it would notify the EAC whether the board plans to act or return the draft to planning. One board member estimated a decision or next step might occur within about a month. No formal ordinance was adopted during the meeting.
The discussion concluded with staff asking EAC members to submit specific concerns (for example, setback distances or noise thresholds) so the board and staff can gather evidence and refine the draft before any advertisement for public comment.
