Proposed Luzerne County zoning ordinance covering data centers discussed

Luzerne County’s Planning Commission spent approximately two hours Thursday discussing and hearing public comment on a proposed county zoning ordinance amendment covering data centers, but it won’t be the last opportunity for citizens to weigh in.

If approved, the ordinance will take effect in 20 municipalities that rely on county zoning instead of handling it on their own: the boroughs of Avoca, Courtdale, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Jeddo, Laflin, New Columbus, Pringle, Warrior Run, West Wyoming, and Yatesville, and the townships of Conyngham, Fairmount, Hunlock, Huntington, Lake, Newport, Ross, and Union.

Dan Reese, director of the county’s GIS, Planning, and Zoning Department, said an evening session to seek public comment will be held at the county courthouse in Wilkes-Barre in early March for those unable to attend regular Planning Commission meetings held at 2 p.m.

Planning Commission members asked numerous questions and offered suggestions about the draft amendment Thursday. They intend to discuss a revised version at their March 12 meeting and determine at that time if they are satisfied with recommending it.

County Council will have the final say on whether the zoning ordinance amendment is implemented.

Hunlock Township resident Elizabeth Jenkins Culp told the commission she has a farm in the township and appreciates the county’s efforts on the draft amendment, describing it as a “great work in progress.”

Culp said light pollution is a major concern in her rural community, and she recommended imposing additional requirements, such as light curfews for parking lots and fixtures that direct light downward.

She also worries about the potential impact on water supplies and suggested increased reporting requirements and protections to ensure residential properties are prioritized during droughts.

Jeddo Borough Council President Eric Bella said the draft amendment is a “great start” and suggested a series of revisions, some from a lengthy data center ordinance drafted in Penn Forest Township near Jim Thorpe in Carbon County.

The current version of the proposed county amendment would require a setback of 500 feet from the lot line of any property developed with a “sensitive receptor,” which includes residential structures, schools and daycares, community centers, worship places, recreational facilities, and agricultural and conservation lands.

Bella said the setback should be greater for a data center.

He also wants assurances that reported complaints from residents will be investigated and protections will be in place if a data center project causes subsidence or other damage to nearby property.

Hunlock Township resident Jeremy Benscoter said a data center in his community could “destroy the night sky” without sufficient restrictions and would “look dystopian” unless there is a way to make it aesthetically blend in.

His zoning draft recommendations included further lowering the decibel caps on noise generated by the data centers.

State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Ross Township, said he will email the county an extensive list of recommended additions based on feedback from constituents and his findings during three visits to Ashburn, Virginia, which is part of an area known as “data center alley” due to the concentration of facilities there.

He believes the county should increase the setback to 2,000 feet from a residential property line for data centers. Walsh said he stood 900 feet away from a data center in Ashburn and could still hear an uncomfortable humming.

Ongoing compliance standards are needed for noise and vibration, he said, noting he has met residents in Virginia who now sleep in their basements because they cannot deal with the humming.

Community incentive packages should be mandated, not just optional, for data centers to help compensate impacted areas, he said, adding that he believes the county is “off to an amazing start” with its draft so far.

Wilkes-Barre resident Paul Lott, an engineer intimately familiar with data centers, said designs have emerged to contour sites, use soil and vegetation to more effectively deflect sound, and construct buildings with brick and other materials that make them look more like college campuses.

He does not believe Luzerne County will “become northern Virginia,” in part because of challenges in delivering power to areas where land is available. He also strongly advised mandating assessments to ensure past underground coal mining activity won’t affect the “very heavy” data center structures.

Walsh said he believes this area has been “targeted” for data centers, adding he has confirmation of data center applications or land purchase offers in seven townships: Hazle, Salem, Sugarloaf, Dorrance, Hollenback, Nesopeck and Black Creek.

“This isn’t me being paranoid. The fact of the matter is, we have the resources here to turn this into data center alley,” Walsh said.

Chester County resident Ginny Marcille-Kerslake, of the Food & Water Action advocacy group, presented a model ordinance for the county to consider.

She advised increasing the setback to 2,500 feet from a residential property line and lowering the noise threshold to better align with health standards.

Marcille-Kerslake commended the county for requiring a decommissioning plan outlining protocols for data center operations in the event they discontinue, though she recommended adding an escrow fund to ensure funds are set aside to cover those costs.

Some projections estimate advancements could make data centers obsolete in a decade or less, she asserted.