Manchester Township, York County
Manchester Township's supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 2026-04 on June 9, 2026, limiting data centers and large battery storage to conditional use in industrial districts, with 400-foot setbacks from homes and a 67-decibel sound cap, before any project was proposed there.
November 11, 2025: the township manager presented a staff draft ordinance for data centers and energy storage systems, which supervisors tabled. December 9, 2025: supervisors formed a two-member subcommittee to rework it. January 5, 2026: supervisors voted to advertise the revised draft. March 10, 2026: the draft went to the township and county planning commissions because it created a new conditional use process. March 25, 2026: the planning commission recommended it 5-0 with comments. April 14, 2026: action was tabled to await the York County Planning Commission's recommendation. May 12, 2026: supervisors authorized advertising it for adoption. June 9, 2026: after a public hearing, supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 2026-04 by a 5-0 vote.
Ordinance No. 2026-04 limits sound from a data center or energy storage system to 67 dB(A) at the property line, requires an as-built sound study six months after occupancy, requires a vibration study showing no vibration can be felt beyond the property line, and requires generators to be kept in a fully enclosed building.
Manchester TownshipThe ordinance caps buildings at 50 feet including rooftop cooling equipment, requires a 400-foot setback from agricultural, residential and office districts and from lots with sensitive receptors, a 100-foot planted buffer, and outdoor lighting of no more than 0.1 footcandle on homes with LED color temperature of 3000K or lower.
Manchester TownshipA site served by public water needs the water authority's certification, and any site relying on wells or other non-public sources must submit a water feasibility study showing its withdrawals won't harm nearby wells, groundwater or surface water within 1,000 feet.
Manchester TownshipApplicants must submit an emergency response plan reviewed by the local fire department, meet NFPA 855 for any battery storage, and post decommissioning security equal to 110 percent of removal costs, with removal required after 24 months without operation.
Manchester TownshipAn applicant connecting to the grid must document that the utility has capacity and will serve the project, and must note any known effects on electric rates or availability for other customers directly caused by the project.
Manchester TownshipIn Pennsylvania, the local zoning ordinance sets the route. A conditional use is decided by the elected governing body (supervisors, commissioners or council). A special exception or variance, and an appeal of a zoning officer’s decision, go to the Zoning Hearing Board. Each is a public hearing on a record: affected neighbors can ask for party status, cross-examine witnesses, and appeal. Municipalities can also adopt data center ordinances with enforceable standards.
Know your rights →Organized community opposition is the single most effective check on these projects in Pennsylvania. Show up to hearings, submit comment when it is taken, support legal and expert-witness costs, and press your municipality for a real ordinance. Pennsylvania municipalities cannot simply freeze applications, but a curative amendment under the Planning Code gives them a defined window to fix a defective ordinance.
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