Township declares ordinance exclusionary for data centers, gives itself 180 days to write curative amendment

The Cecil Township Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 3 to declare the township's Unified Development Ordinance substantively invalid "as exclusionary of data centers" and to prepare a curative amendment intended to address that invalidity.

Township solicitor Gretchen Moore told the board the declaration gives the township 180 days during which new applications related to data centers cannot be processed while officials draft and advertise a targeted ordinance. "So that's the process that they are talking or considering voting on right now," Moore said in explanation to the board.

Supporters of the move said it provides the board breathing room to craft specific rules and hold public hearings before any new applications are accepted. Resident Sharon Stankus asked for clarification about what "exclusionary" meant; Moore and other staff explained the declaration is a procedural step that triggers a formal public‑notice process for the curative amendment.

The resolution passed on a voice vote. The board's action does not itself change zoning rules for existing uses; rather, it starts the process to prepare, advertise and ultimately vote on a replacement ordinance addressing data‑center land use. Additional public hearings on the proposed amendment will be scheduled as required by law.