Ferguson supervisors hear residents’ pleas for strict data center zoning conditions

While plans for an AI data center have yet to be submitted in Centre County, Ferguson Township supervisors are looking to bolster their zoning ordinance in case that changes, with residents voicing support for what one called a “proactive approach.”

At their meeting Tuesday, the Ferguson Township supervisors unanimously moved to allow the township’s planning commission to research and recommend text amendments for its zoning ordinance to address AI data centers. The amendments will likely also include the implementation of strict conditions on any future data center plan submissions.

This move follows a boom of data center development across Pennsylvania, and on a more local scale, the township planning commission’s discussion on data centers last month. Additionally, College Township’s council approved a data center ordinance amendment in February, making it the first municipality in the county to do so.

Rush Township is also exploring an ordinance update for data centers.

While some residents have expressed concerns about townships discussing data centers at all, Ferguson Township Planning and Zoning Director Kimberly Smith said Tuesday that not doing anything could create problems in the future.

“If a data center is not specifically listed [in the zoning ordinance], then we have no specific conditions to attach to a data center,” Smith said. “While it seems like putting data centers in your code invites it, it actually allows the township to put restrictions, and that could be anything from aesthetics, to placement, to all those items.”

Smith noted that township staff “is not taking a position at this point” on data centers, and that instead, staff members are merely doing their jobs and providing the supervisors and planning commission members with options to choose from in terms of potential actions, amendments and future conditions.

Before any action was taken Tuesday though, about 15 attendees of the 46 that packed the meeting took to the mic to voice their opinions on data centers and potential zoning amendments.

The majority praised the supervisors for wanting to hear their feedback, including resident Natalie Rae, who said she “appreciates the sort of proactive approach,” that they are taking, and shared that she’s eager to be included in future conversations.

Every speaker warned of the dangers of large AI data centers, which use massive amounts of water, create air and noise pollution and put a strain on electric grids. Speakers also recommended restrictions that they would like to see in a code amendment, such as limiting a data center’s water usage to non-potable drinking water, limiting energy consumption levels and more.

“I just ask you to resist and protect our quality of life for yourselves and all of the citizens that live here,” said resident Rhonda Johannesen, who also noted that she’d hate to see the township’s abundance of natural resources ruined by a data center. “As you go through your processes, be extra vigilant, because I think we have some danger.”

Other speakers, such as resident Clint Stedman — who moved to the region from northern Virginia, an area that some consider the data center capital of the world — tackled the specific negative impacts that a data center can have on an area, despite a raise in local tax revenue.

“Data centers consume massive amounts of energy, they consume massive amounts of water for cooling, they pose a high risk for water tables, stream temperatures, local ecology and water quality — we live in an area that has world-class trout streams, and if these data centers impact the watersheds with these trout streams, guess what, folks?” Stedman said.

In addition to township residents, some out-of-town residents addressed supervisors to speak about the negative effects of data centers and suggested possible amendments, including Millheim Councilman Robert Zeigler and Tony Dastra, a Lancaster resident and Green Party candidate for Pennsylvania governor.

Zeigler said that townships like Ferguson are the “first line of defense” from higher-up governments who may want support data center development across the state. Dastra commended the supervisors for being forward-thinking, and called for all townships to “stand together as a state” against data centers.

“A [data center] moratorium is desperately needed across the state,” Dastra said. “We’re up against the beast right now, and no half measures can be taken. And the reason I drove two and a half hours to get here and show my support for these people standing up for this issue is because it feels like no one in elected government currently is truly standing up.”

Supervisor Trevor White told anti-data center attendees that he’s “100% with you guys,” and Supervisor Matthew Heller wholeheartedly agreed.

“I don’t want data centers either,” Heller said. “I want to make sure that we get this as tight as we can.”

Moving forward, the planning commission will now begin to research what conditions could be included in a zoning amendment, and whether a shared-use agreement with College Township would be a viable option. Supervisors also made it clear that they encourage residents to attend the meetings where data centers — or any other issues — are discussed.

In June, Smith said the township’s planning commission and supervisors would have a joint meeting to discuss zoning uses, which would include a discussion on the potential amendments and shared use agreements.

The Ferguson Township Planning Commission typically meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month. The supervisors typically meet at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month.