One township in Luzerne County is looking to take an extra precaution against data centers, despite there being no active proposed development.
LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — With proposals for data centers popping up in municipalities throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania, Jenkins Township is taking an extra precaution.
“We have to have something in the rules and regulations of our zoning ordinance that addresses data centers,” says solicitor Joseph Blazosek.
That’s why supervisors hired a consultant to propose new rules and regulations limiting data center development, despite there being no active proposals to build one in the township.
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The new rules restrict development on aspects such as location, noise, size, and distance from other properties.
Some residents were concerned that these new rules aren’t strict enough.
Amanda Reiser of Jenkins Township says, “The only thing I would ask this board here is that you consider how much more of an impact this will have than what’s written in this ordinance on paper, because it’s so far-reaching.”
Some far-reaching impacts that people raised concerns about were water consumption.
Dino Rodeghiero from Jenkins Township says, “In the legislation, please, non-potable water only. No public water supply that can go for drinking, bathing, watering my dog, lawn, cars, I don’t care what.”
Folks in neighboring Pittston Township are concerned about new rules that would limit data center development to only two zones in Jenkins Township, right on the edge of Pittston Township.
Pittston Township Supervisor Deborah Taroli says, “We are located near the data center overlay district. It’s in very close proximity to our township residents, especially the Suscon area.”
Some concerned residents also asked if it was possible to just outright ban data centers in the township.
Robert Linskey, Jenkins Township supervisor, says, “If we had an ordinance that said ‘No data centers,’ they will take that to court, and we will lose, and they could put a data center anywhere they want, pretty much; that’s why we’re doing this.”
Township supervisors tabled the vote to adopt these new rules to incorporate some residents’ concerns.