Luzerne County Planning Commission continues review of data center zoning amendment

Luzerne County’s Planning Commission continued dissecting a proposed data center zoning amendment on Thursday, with officials saying they want to make sure they get it right for the 19 municipalities it will cover.

While discussion on that matter will resume at the commission’s next meeting on May 14, it voted Thursday to recommend two other amendments to county council, which has the final say.

The first, a zoning amendment, would require a buffer yard of at least 30 feet when new industrial development abuts residential areas. The buffer yards would not apply to existing industrial properties unless they are proposing an expansion of more than 50%, the document said.

The screened buffer may consist of a masonry wall, wood fence, trees, shrubs, berms, or a combination.

If approved by council, the amendment will take effect in the following 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, Ross, and Union.

Newport Township is also on the list, but the municipality is in the process of switching to in-house zoning control.

The second commission-recommended amendment Thursday applies to the county’s Subdivision/Land Development Ordinance, known as SALDO.

County GIS, Planning, and Zoning Director Dan Reese said the amendment would require developers of large-scale projects on public transportation routes to seek input from the county Transportation Authority or Hazleton Public Transit so the plans incorporate suitable accommodations for buses and their passengers, including school buses.

Reese said this ensures developers obtain public transportation feedback for projects such as shopping centers or residential complexes.

The county oversees subdivision and land development administration for 28 municipalities, including those covered by zoning. The others: Dallas, Luzerne, Plymouth, Shickshinny, West Pittston, and Wyoming boroughs and the townships of Plymouth and Exeter, the county website says.

Because the amendments involve ordinances, council would have to first introduce them and then hold public hearings and final votes at a subsequent meeting for passage.

The third revision of the proposed data center amendment discussed Thursday included an increase of the required landscape buffer width from 50 to 100 feet, time limits for developers to replace dead or inadequate trees and shrubs, and an option to use existing trees and vegetation in the buffer with proper approval.

Water usage wording was added, mandating submission of a contingency plan if the county declares a water shortage due to a drought emergency.

In the aesthetics section, the updated version said all lighting equipment must be fully enclosed or shielded.

Another revision would mandate community incentive packages for data centers at least 20,000 square feet, while indicating smaller ones may include an incentive package.

These packages are intended to help compensate impacted municipalities.

However, some commission members expressed support for requiring all data centers to offer an incentive package, regardless of data center size.

The commission also further discussed another proposed zoning amendment, separate from data centers, that would cover battery energy storage systems.

These systems are standalone units that kick in when electrical grids need a boost. The proposed amendment would require a zoning permit for systems with an aggregate energy capacity exceeding 600 kilowatt-hours.

Reese suggested addressing these systems in the zoning code because he learned a Hunlock Township property owner has been approached by a company interested in constructing one.