West Pennsboro Township Zoning Rewrite
West Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County
A zoning response from West Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, adopted so the community would have standards in place rather than reacting to whatever arrives first.
The project by the numbers
West Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County moved first and wrote its own rules
- Current stage
- This entry tracks a municipal zoning decision rather than a proposed facility. The community set standards ahead of any application.
- Decision body
- West Pennsboro Township
- Top issues
- The questions here are about the rules themselves, including how far equipment must sit from homes, what noise limits apply, and whether a municipality can set terms before an application arrives.
Late August 2025 zoning rewrite limiting DCs to industrial as conditional use (Twp Mgr. Larry Barrick).
Coverage of this project
- 2026-04-22 Government Technology / The SentinelCumberland County, Pa., Data Centers Take New Step ForwardCounty-wide zoning response to two Cumberland proposals
Know your rights
In Pennsylvania, a data center on industrial land usually needs a special exception or conditional use, decided by a local Zoning Hearing Board after a public, quasi-judicial hearing. Neighbors can request party status, cross-examine witnesses, and build an evidentiary record. Municipalities can also write data-center ordinances with enforceable standards.
Know your rights →Take action
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 ask your municipality for a moratorium and a real ordinance.
How communities push back →