Hatfield council hears resident concerns, municipal group readies model rules for data centers

A Hatfield resident urged the borough to prepare now for companies buying industrially zoned sites and converting them to data centers, saying while they were "not against data centers, but...against what they can do if it's not responsibly done." The comment came during the public comment period of the borough council's regular meeting.

A representative from the Pennsylvania Municipal Electric Association told council members PMEA is drafting a model ordinance for data centers that it plans to release at its annual conference in September so municipalities can adapt it to local conditions. The speaker said the model will not be one-size-fits-all and recommended that the borough work with its solicitor when tailoring provisions.

The borough solicitor, speaking later in the meeting, said data centers are a permissible industrial use under current zoning but advised that any local ordinance should include checks on where a data center would source electricity and water. The solicitor warned that municipalities must allow every permissible land use somewhere and cautioned against drawing rules that invite a curative amendment; instead, the solicitor recommended specific conditions to address potential impacts on municipal utilities and consumers.

Council members and staff said they support reviewing the PMEA draft when it is available and working with the borough solicitor to draft local language. No formal ordinance was introduced at the meeting; staff said they expect a draft to be reviewed after the PMEA release and could bring proposed local changes to committee and council later in the year.