DAMASCUS TOWNSHIP, PA — In its October meeting, the Damascus Township Board of Supervisors passed an amendment to its zoning ordinances to cover data centers, while pointing out ways in which that data center ordinance had been revised following public comment at a prior public hearing. 

Water usage, sound levels, and noise and vibration levels are covered in this amendment to the zoning ordinance, as well as scale, power, parking, emergency services access, electronic waste and requirements for a community impact analysis and environmental impact analysis. 

Applicants making the conditional use proposal application to build a data center must provide the noise study including C weighted noise (dBC) and Octave Bands (dBZ) within six months of the certificate of occupancy and within six months of any change ownership. “In addition to dBA levels, the developer will need to be able to show that C weighted noise (dBC) and Octave Bands (dBZ) will be maintained at preconstruction levels.” All noise level measurements are to take place at the property line. 

Statements were made to the effect that the board has taken into account the feedback from the public during the public hearing, as well as advice from the township solicitor. Changes were discussed and made incorporating the ideas of refinement and specificity discussed by township solicitor Jeff Treat, so that there would be fewer loopholes, should there be in future be a proposal for a data center in the township. 

For example, the reference to "energy generation using diesel, gasoline or other fossil fuels" (in supplementary regulation item 435.6, c-2) is restricted to routine maintenance or readiness testing, and is limited to “a short duration of time and capped at 100 hours per calendar year,” where it formerly said “per year”. 

Item 435.4, 5-d changed “Monitor and report energy efficiency and emissions data to the municipality quarterly.” “Quarterly” is a change from “regularly”. Item 435.19 was also upgraded to cover the decommissioning issue. 

The ordinance can be found at https://damascustwp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Ordinance-NO-5-2026-Data-Centers-and-Associate d-Supplementary-Facilities-Standards.pdf