East Cocalico board sends draft data-center ordinance to county and township planners for review

The East Cocalico Township Board of Supervisors voted July 16 to send a draft ordinance intended to regulate data centers to county and township planning commissions for review.

The board's chair opened a lengthy discussion, saying multiple municipalities and solicitors had reviewed similar drafts and warning the board was approaching "paralysis by analysis." A committee member urged getting basic protections in place: "Let's get the basics in in place," the member said, while acknowledging added provisions continued to broaden the draft.

Planner and staff described the township as a county target area for data centers because of high-capacity electric lines through the township and said many draft elements mirror standards adopted in southeast Pennsylvania. Board members debated striking provisions that might be challenged as overreaching. Ultimately the board voted to send the draft to the Lancaster County Planning Commission (LCPC) and the township planning commission for formal review; the chair said county review typically allows about 45 days plus a few days for intake and processing.

Officials said the review schedule could push local action into September or October depending on the county and planning-commission timelines. The board discussed concurrent review options and agreed to reach out to the planning commission for potential workshops or special meetings to digest the draft.

No ordinance text was adopted at the July 16 meeting; the motion authorized review and the public-review sequence required before advertisement or local adoption.