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West Hanover supervisors adopt ordinance regulating data centers and battery storage as conditional uses
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved Ordinance 2026-01 to permit data centers and battery energy storage systems in the Industrial Enterprise (IE) district as conditional uses with new site, environmental, safety and reporting requirements, after public comment on water, power and enforceability.
The Board of Supervisors of West Hanover Township voted to adopt Ordinance 2026-01, which adds specific zoning and operating requirements for data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS) as conditional uses in the township’s Industrial Enterprise (IE) district.
Staff member, who presented the draft ordinance, summarized its chief provisions: a 20-acre minimum contiguous tract, maximum 75% impervious coverage, maximum 50% gross building coverage, a 55-foot building height limit with rooftop mechanical equipment allowed to extend but screened by a parapet, 30-foot buffering/screening minimums, hazardous-materials and emergency response plans, demonstrated power service prior to land development approval, required water-use studies and will-serve letters, wastewater controls for water-cooled systems, a decommissioning plan with financial security, and an annual operating compliance report to verify ongoing adherence to noise, vibration, water and fire-safety requirements.
During debate, a committee member stressed the need to move quickly to establish zoning safeguards while noting the board would document public suggestions and consider amendments where legally and practically feasible. "We would like to expedite getting the ordinance in place," the committee member said, adding that comments collected tonight would be evaluated and, if appropriate, incorporated through a future amendment process.
The chair called for a motion to approve Ordinance 2026-01; the motion was moved and seconded. The board approved the ordinance by voice vote. The transcript records the motion as carried but does not include a roll-call tally.
The board said next steps will include legal review of suggested edits and, where feasible, returning with amendments after the required public-notice periods. The motion’s passage puts the township’s new standards into effect pending any subsequent amendments and the usual implementation steps through the township’s land development review process.
