Lower Saucon Township is moving to regulate future data centers with a new zoning ordinance aimed at controlling where they can be built and how they operate.
The proposal treats data centers as a conditional use in certain industrial and commercial zones, giving officials leverage over size, design, and site impacts.
Key controls include limits on building height, setbacks, noise, lighting, and mechanical equipment placement, which matter for large GPU clusters with heavy cooling and backup power needs.
The ordinance also anticipates substantial power and water demand by requiring utility plans, traffic studies, and detailed site plans before approval.
Supervisors are trying to get ahead of potential hyperscale and AI data center interest in the Lehigh Valley, balancing tax base growth against community concerns.
For operators, this translates into longer lead times, tighter site engineering, and likely coordination with local utilities early in the design phase.
The article is worth a full read if you track how second-tier markets are writing the ground rules for AI-ready data center builds.
Source: Lower Saucon Township prepares for data centers with proposed ordinance | Bethlehem Area | wfmz.com
