HONESDALE, PA — In a borough council meeting of Tuesday, May 26, the Honesdale Borough Council discussed the status of a work-in-progress data center ordinance. 

Council member James Hamill raised the question, asking borough solicitor Richard Henry about the status of an updated zoning ordinance on solar farms and data centers being drafted by consultant Tom Shepstone. “Do you know where that stands right now, if that’s still in process?” Hamill asked. 

“I do not know the status, but we should find out,” said Henry. He said it was important to find out not just for the big-ticket issues like solar farms and data centers, but also for other things to be addressed that would likely be more important for the borough’s day-to-day business. He mentioned accessory use in residential areas as an important aspect of the borough’s zoning under consideration. 

Hamill also raised a concern about having Shepstone be the planner drafting the ordinances. He mentioned that Shepstone has been involved in other data center conversations in Archibald and Dickson City. 

“I just wonder if he’s appropriate to be using for this process, or if it’s something we need to re-evaluate,” Hamill said. 

Henry said it was something they should explore. 

Mayor Derek Williams mentioned that, additionally, the planning commission has been working through sidewalk ordinances.

Regarding data centers, Williams, said, “Any consultant that we hire works for us, and we can guide them whichever ways are appropriate.”

Williams encouraged people to read WVIA’s coverage of data center issues. In that coverage, “Mr. Shepstone seemed to be helping the borough advocate for their needs in defense [against] the developers in that case, doing just what a consultant would do,” Williams said. 

Shepstone has been a consistent proponent of fracking in the Delaware River basin, and participated in a 2025 roundtable aimed at rallying support from the federal government for overturning the Delaware River Basin Commission’s ban on fracking in the basin. During that roundtable, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin drew a connection between fracking and the development of AI data centers, identifying Pennsylvania as a potential candidate for the AI capital of America.