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Oakmont council adopts ordinance allowing data centers by special exception in industrial zone
Summary
The Oakmont Borough Council unanimously approved Ordinance O3 of 2026 to permit data centers as a use by special exception in the borough’s I (Industrial) zoning district, adding explicit requirements for lot size, height, landscaping, and water and sewer connections.
Oakmont Borough Council voted to adopt Ordinance O3 of 2026 on July 21, approving an amendment to the borough zoning code to allow data centers in the I (Industrial) zoning district as a use by special exception.
At a public hearing the council received no public comments on the proposed change. The ordinance, presented by borough staff, sets out a list of requirements applicants must meet when seeking approval from the zoning hearing board, including maximum facility height, lot-size and landscaping standards, water and sewer requirements and operational limitations. As the presenter explained, an applicant must "show that they meet all of those requirements" to obtain special-exception approval; applicants who do not meet the requirements may seek a variance.
Council members discussed infrastructure and power-supply considerations, noting that on-site or ancillary power systems are treated as separate approvals from the zoning special-exception process. One member summarized the practical concern: the borough has not previously been approached by a data center and current topography and infrastructure make the borough an unlikely site today, though the council acknowledged technology and market changes could alter that in the future.
Deborah Ormeh moved to approve the ordinance; the motion was seconded and the council approved the change by a unanimous voice vote as recorded at the meeting. The presiding officer recorded the action as an adoption of Ordinance O3 of 2026, amending borough code Chapter 205 to provide that data centers are available as a use by special exception in the I Zoning District and to establish other requirements for that use.
Why it matters: the change creates a clear, administrable path for data-center proposals to be considered under the borough’s zoning framework while reserving discretion for the zoning hearing board via the special-exception review. It also signals the borough’s preference to set site, design and operational standards rather than leaving potential proposals unregulated.
What’s next: applicants seeking to locate a data center in the I zone will have to file before the zoning hearing board and demonstrate compliance with the ordinance’s requirements; the zoning hearing board will make the final determination on any particular application.
Speakers quoted or cited: Presenter (voice S3) and Chair (voice S1).
