Municipal Monday, Issue 17. A weekly digest of regulatory and development activity from 32 Central Pennsylvania municipalities.
THE PATTERN: Four municipalities in three counties put data center items on agendas in the three weeks to September 10. Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, is the live one: supervisors approved seven items advancing Pennsylvania Digital 1 (PAX-1) on September 2, from a community benefits agreement to a side letter on well testing and noise monitoring. Two court actions and an Environmental Hearing Board appeal are pending, first hearing September 16. The other three are still writing rules. East Pennsboro’s August 19 agenda carried a motion to advertise Ordinance 864-2026, adding data center definitions to its zoning code. Newberry listed a motion August 25 to advertise data center and solar ordinance hearings. North Londonderry had draft regulations on its August 17 planning agenda. All three are drafting standards while Middlesex reviews a live project against its own.
The order matters more than it used to. Executive Order 2026-05 put local approval and comprehensive plan consistency in front of a DEP permit for data centers over 25 megawatts, so the ordinance a township advertises this fall is the document that decides when the state clock can start. Middlesex is working the other way around, applying standards it already has to a project already in front of it.
ON THE BOARDS: Fifteen plans in eight municipalities carried a review deadline or extension request on agendas dated August 27 to September 10. Middlesex had five, including requests pushing the Sheetz Store 191 rebuild and the Ahold Delhaize solar plan to December. Carroll has two inside three weeks, 941 York Road Warehouse and 235 Camp Ground Road. Fairview took up Summit View Terrace and Messiah Lifeways Phase 1, East Hanover had two, including the State Police headquarters review expiring November 23, and four more sat in Lower Swatara, Swatara, Monroe and South Middleton. Also in motion: an age-restricted residential conditional use in Lower Swatara by McNaughton Properties, and Enclave at Silverbrook in Derry.
LONG HORIZON: Five municipalities have ordinance files in motion. Watch Middlesex, where the applicant is Cumberland County itself: a text amendment allowing principal solar energy systems by conditional use in the Institutional district. Planning Commission deadline September 28, hearing October 7. East Hanover has its zoning ordinance, map and subdivision ordinance in motion. Newberry listed up to $75,000 in comprehensive plan grant applications, Monroe takes up advertising an E-Code hearing September 10, and Harrisburg held a zoning work session August 26.
COST TO WATCH: Middlesex’s Phase 1B amendment sets improvement security at $21,751,790, on top of $14,153,608.50 for earlier phases and offsite road work. The community benefits agreement adds $14,000,000 in six increments, escrowed pending challenges. Fairview’s August 31 agenda carried $2,043,183.93 in bond reduction requests. Hampden’s September 3 agenda listed an $18,464 release and a denial on The Oaks Phase II. Nine municipalities listed 23 security items in all.
If a review clock or a draft ordinance touches ground you hold, we can tell you what it means for the specifics.
Municipal Monday runs weekly. Next issue: 9/14.