Washington Borough Green Team endorses model ordinance to prohibit data centers

Members of the Washington Borough Green Team discussed a model ordinance circulated by Warren County Commissioner James Kern that would prohibit data centers as a permitted use in the Borough.

The minutes state Commissioner Kern "sent a model ordinance to Mayor Cox and Brian Bond, which would make data centers a nonpermitted/prohibited use in Washington Borough." After discussion, the Green Team passed a motion to support passage of a Data Centers Ordinance by the Washington Borough Council to make data centers a nonpermitted/prohibited use. The motion was made by Chair Gary Pohorely and seconded by Kristy Romanowski; the minutes record the motion as "Approved by acclamation."

The minutes note Josephine Noone received the model ordinance as part of her work with the Warren County Environmental Advisory Committee and that she shared the information with Green Team members. The Green Team's endorsement is a formal advisory position and does not itself change Borough law; the minutes indicate the next step would be consideration by the Borough Council.