FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - The Butler Township municipal building was packed Monday evening as residents, officials, and local stakeholders gathered for a zoning hearing that put the future of data center development squarely in the spotlight.
The hearing, held in compliance with state and local planning codes, focused on two proposed zoning ordinances, both aimed at establishing where data centers may be constructed within the township and under what conditions.
Supervisors Dave Kessler, Kate Staudenmeier, and Patrick Coyle heard heated testimony from township residents, who voiced concerns ranging from water depletion and thermal pollution to noise, light, and traffic impacts.
Proposed Ordinances Would Centralize Data Centers in Highridge Industrial Park
The Board reviewed Ordinance No. 2025-3 and Ordinance No. 2025-4, which together propose to strictly confine data center development to Butler Township’s side of the Highridge Industrial Park (HIP):
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Ordinance 2025-3 would rezone 72 acres of Woodland Conservation land west of I-81 and north of Gordon Mountain Road into the Interchange (I-1) District, establishing a Data Center Overlay within the Highridge Industrial Park
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Ordinance 2025-4 would regulate data center operations. It defines data centers and accessory facilities, permits them by Special Exception in I-1 zones, and prohibits placement on parcels adjoining residential districts. Within the overlay, centers utilizing air or closed-loop cooling would be allowed by right.
Protections include required buffer yards, screening, traffic studies, and a cap on operational noise at 75 dB(A) measured at property lines.
Residents Raise Alarm Over Environmental, Water, and Flooding Risks
Many residents expressed staunch opposition, warning of far-reaching environmental and quality-of-life impacts.
Justin Eisenhart, a township resident, listed several concerns:
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Noise & Light Pollution: Around-the-clock truck traffic, diesel generator testing, and maintenance noise.
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Water Usage: Fears of “unsustainable drain” on rural water supplies, worsening drought risks.
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Thermal Pollution: Heated water discharge potentially harming aquatic ecosystems.
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Wildlife Loss: Clearing 72 acres of woodland could displace wildlife and increase roadway hazards on I-81.
Residents of Gordon raised concerns about stormwater runoff, citing recent flooding on Gordon Mountain Road after heavy rains near the Walmart site. They warned that removing trees and brush would worsen flooding, endangering homes and even the borough’s last church.
Others warned that data centers could proliferate unchecked, creating environmental “heat islands” that degrade surrounding communities.
Officials Defend Ordinances as Protective, Legally Necessary
Butler Township officials countered that the ordinances are designed to prevent uncontrolled development and protect neighborhoods.
The township solicitor emphasized that Pennsylvania law requires municipalities to allow every lawful use somewhere within their borders. Without zoning, developers could win site-specific relief to build a data center anywhere, including near neighborhoods.
Frank Zukas, of the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), defended the HIP location, noting the park already supports 5,000 jobs and generates $3.5 million in property taxes annually. He added the proposed data center—1.26 million square feet across two buildings—would disturb less land and create less runoff than a previously approved two-million-square-foot warehouse.
On water, Zukas—also chair of the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority—said the project is expected to use a closed-loop system, meaning no groundwater withdrawals or discharges. For non-closed systems, Ordinance 2025-4 requires detailed water studies and geological mapping before approval.
Residents Push Back Over Transparency and Timing
Despite reassurances, residents remained uneasy about the ordinances’ timing and possible links to a rumored data center project in neighboring New Castle Township.
The solicitor repeatedly clarified that the Butler ordinances do not apply to that project, stressing the measures only cover the HIP area.
State Rep. Tim Twardzik, a Butler Township resident, praised the supervisors’ proactive move, saying it keeps data centers “out of neighborhoods and in industrial parks.”
Still, some attendees questioned why the vote could not be delayed, given the high public turnout and confusion over the scope of the ordinances. Township officials argued that postponement risks losing control entirely.
Following the public hearing, the Board of Supervisors voted to adopt both Ordinance 2025-3 and Ordinance 2025-4.
