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Township pauses data-center applications for 180 days to prepare ordinance
Summary
Cecil Township supervisors voted to declare parts of the Unified Development Ordinance exclusionary for data centers and to give themselves a 180-day window to draft and advertise a curative amendment, a temporary pause intended to prevent site-specific relief while the new rules are prepared.
Cecil Township supervisors voted Aug. 3 to declare their Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) exclusionary as it relates to data centers and to begin preparation of a curative amendment that will be advertised for public hearings. Township solicitor Gretchen Moore told the board the declaration is intended to give the township 180 days during which applications for data centers cannot be processed while staff prepares the ordinance.
Moore explained the reasoning: "So, the board wants to consider self declaring, its ordinance exclusionary, specifically as it relates to data centers, to give itself 180 days, where no applications can be processed or come in to kinda get that data center ordinance advertised and, you know, and vote on it." A resident who asked whether that pause was final or reversible was told the pause provides time for public advertising and hearings. The board moved, seconded and voted to approve the resolution; the meeting record shows the motion carried but a roll-call tally was not recorded in the transcript.
Why it matters: the declaration prevents developers from filing applications that would seek site-specific relief while the township completes the data-center regulations. The solicitor and staff said the pause is an interim procedural step and that the public will have future opportunities to participate in hearings on the proposed ordinance. The board signaled the item will be followed by formal public advertisements and hearings when the ordinance text is available.
