South Strabane adopts data center, noise ordinances
Action culminates more than six months of discussion on topic
The South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt a pair of ordinances governing data center development plus noise and dust, ending more than six months of public outcry about the prospect of high-tech transforming the suburban community.
More than 70 people attended the standing-room-only Tuesday night hearing and special voting meeting, where residents voiced their concerns for just under two hours.
South Strabane resident Nancy Gray said she is opposed to data center development in the township, and that any ordinance passed by the board should be 鈥渁s tight as possible.鈥�
Although Solicitor Dennis Makel touted the 1,500-foot setback from any occupied residence as among the largest setbacks in any Pennsylvania municipal ordinance, many residents expressed a desire for even stricter regulations.
According to Makel, with the current 1,500-foot setback, only 651 acres of the roughly 1,400-acre Zediker Station Road property will be available for data center use.
Makel provided three posterboard maps of the property to demonstrate the setback limits to the crowd during the hearing.
Nessa Nevins said the board should pursue a full moratorium on all data center development.
鈥淲e鈥檙e tired of begging the people in charge to protect our health 鈥� we鈥檙e sick of it here in western Pennsylvania, the influx of data centers is hated across the U.S.鈥�
Resident Kevin Booth thanked the board for the 鈥渟ignificant amount of work gone into the ordinance,鈥� calling it a 鈥渃omprehensive framework designed to protect residents while providing a clear standard for developers.鈥�
Robert Max Junker 鈥� an attorney working on behalf of landowner CNX Resources 鈥� addressed the board following comments delivered by 28 different meeting attendees both in person and on Zoom.
Junker said that CNX appreciates the ongoing work of the board in regard to the data center ordinance, noting that they have addressed several subsequent rounds of comments submitted by the company regarding the draft ordinances.
According to Junker, there are no current applications to purchase the Zediker Station Road property.
Junker asked the board to consider amending the draft ordinance to lower the proposed setback from 1,500 feet to 1,000 feet, and to include language allowing for an opt-in setback waiver for residents that live near the property in case a 鈥渢ech industry guy moves to the area and wouldn鈥檛 mind being near a data center.鈥�
Makel told Junker that the 1,500-foot setback for data centers is appropriate and in line with existing township code, since oil and gas extraction pads are currently subject to an identical 1,500-foot setback.
Supervisor Chairman George Rowand said the process to enact the data center ordinance was a 鈥渓ong road,鈥� that 鈥渁 lot of effort has gone into it.鈥�
鈥業t鈥檚 a comprehensive ordinance that I think township residents will be pleased with,鈥� he said.
According to Rowand, residents and local homeowners have been requesting that the ordinance be adopted as soon as possible, so the board did not want to hold off any longer.
Rowand said that since some residents wanted a setback over 1,500 feet, and the landowner asked for a setback of 1,000 feet, the final setback of 1,500 feet was 鈥渞ight in the middle.鈥�
Rowand said that a third ordinance governing fossil fuel power generation is currently being drafted by township leaders, and will be presented to the public for comment once complete.