DALLAS TWP. — Despite pleas by residents to postpone a vote on a proposed data center ordinance to make it stronger, the three township supervisors voted Wednesday to approve a revised zoning proposal to regulate the facilities.
The township hosted a public hearing Wednesday at Dallas High School to hear concerns, then held a special meeting to vote on the ordinance, which has been under consideration for months.
While no specific project has been proposed in Dallas Twp., officials say they want to be prepared in case someone comes to the township with a plan.
Officials: We had to act immediately
Township officials said passing something now is better than having nothing on the books.The ordinance, available to review on the township’s website, can be amended in the future, they said, and scheduled a meeting for next week with residents.
“We have to close the door tonight. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and have a data center application on our desk,” said township Supervisor Bill Grant, who said he’s personally against seeing a data center built in the township.
The amendment limits data centers to I-1 industrial zones and prohibits them in residential, agricultural and commercial zones.
It would also require a 500-foot setback from property lines, which is an increase from the 300 feet originally proposed.
Solicitor Tom Mosca speaks during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Centers regulated to few industrial zones
That would leave little room for a data center within the 19 square miles of Dallas Twp.
Township officials told residents they couldn’t outright ban a legal business and must provide at least somewhere data centers could operate with regulations.
There are only two I-1 zones in Dallas Twp.
One is an area between Memorial Highway and Troutbrook Drive and between Rice Drive and Lower Demunds Road. The former Offset Paperback property and Rice’s Food Equipment are located in that zone. The other I-1 zone is a small area between Misericordia University and Irem Country Club, where there is an existing warehouse complex.
Several township residents complained that a proposed ordinance by Luzerne County to regulate data centers in 20 municipalities in Luzerne County stricter than the Dallas Twp. ordinance.
“I think we could rewrite this, rewrite this and rewrite this and you’re never going to get a perfect ordinance. This is a good ordinance,” township solicitor Tom Mosca told residents. “If we don’t pass an ordinance tonight, we are exposed. We are not doing this process to solicit data centers. We want to regulate their use and implement safeguards.”
Dallas Twp. supervisors want to amend zoning laws to allow data centers only in industrial zones. (Courtesy of Dallas Twp.)
Controversial issue is “all around us”
E-commerce and tech giant Amazon operates a data center in Salem Twp. next to the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station nuclear power plant along Route 11 and is building at least 15 more .
Others have been proposed or rumored across the area, leading to contentious municipal meetings from Archbald to Hollenback Twp. to Sugarloaf Twp.
“We live in a rural setting. That’s why people moved here. People want to live in the Back Mountain,” said Claude Street resident Junell Guarneri. “Then we are going to put these giant data centers in? We are going to start looking like ‘Data Center Alley.’”
Most residents who spoke said they appreciated the efforts by supervisors and knew they were in a tough sport, but wish tougher protections could be put in place.
Supervisor Liz Martin said Wednesday’s vote on the data center ordinance was not a “once and done issue.”
“We have to put safeguards in place now,” Martin said “I don’t want to be vulnerable. We have to start somewhere. The data center issue is all around us.”
Junell Guarneri speaks during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Solicitor Tom Mosca questions Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer Russell Coolbaugh during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The Dallas Twp. Board of Supervisors gather for a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Carmen Latona speaks during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The Dallas Twp. Board of Supervisors look on as Junell Guarneri speaks during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Attendees look on during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas Twp. Board of Supervisors member Joe Moskovitz looks on during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas Twp. Board of Supervisors chair Liz Martin looks on during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Solicitor Tom Mosca speaks during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The Dallas Twp. Board of Supervisors look on as Sarah Latona speaks during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Junell Guarneri speaks during a special meeting regarding data centers at Dallas High School on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)