Hearing for data center ordinance in...

LEWISBURG — A misprinted date in a public advertisement means East Buffalo Township must reschedule its public hearing on a data center ordinance.A public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the township meeting room at 589 Fairground Road, Lewisburg. The supervisors will then consider the ordinance for final approval following public comment and discussion.Last year, the township passed an ordinance regulating smaller-scale data centers used for cryptocurrency and data mining, but it did not address larger commercial data centers. The new ordinance restricts data centers to the industrial zoning district, officials said.The new ordinance also requires large-scale data center projects to go before the zoning hearing board for approval as a special exception. Smaller-scale data center projects must go before the planning commission, with the supervisors making the final decision on approval as a conditional use, officials said.Large-scale data center projects are defined as those occupying more than three lot sizes. The only properties in the industrial zone that meet this criterion are those currently occupied by Giant, the Miller Center for Recreation and Wellness or the Lewisburg Liquidation Center. A data center could be built on one of those properties if the existing business closes and a company that purchases the property for that purpose goes through the special exception process, officials said.— JUSTIN STRAWSER