City of Williamsport, Lycoming County
Williamsport City Council declared its 1998 zoning ordinance invalid for data centers on June 25, 2026, and the city now has a draft ordinance that would allow data centers only as a conditional use in one zoning district, with limits on noise, water use, height and generators.
City Council voted 6-0 on June 25, 2026 to adopt Resolution 10088, declaring the city's 1998 zoning ordinance substantively invalid because it doesn't account for data centers or accessory uses including power generating facilities. The municipal curative amendment route starts a 180-day clock to write data center rules and blocks developer validity challenges while the work is underway. On July 9 council voted 6-0 for Resolution 10091, the required second resolution listing the specific defects. Lycoming County commissioners took the same step in June for the 19 municipalities in the county planning partnership, and Woodward and Pine Creek townships made similar moves. In July the county planning commission's chairman said Woodward and Washington townships and the City of Williamsport had ratified curative amendments setting data center conditions. In September the city brought in Barry Isett & Associates for zoning reviews, and a public hearing draft of the ordinance was posted September 29. The city Planning Commission took it up October 5.
The draft sets a 24-hour community noise equivalent level of 50 dBA at the boundary of any property with a sensitive receptor such as a home, school or day care, and 70 dBA at other developed properties. Developers would need pre- and post-construction sound studies by a board-certified noise engineer, and low-frequency (C-weighted) noise must also be kept at acceptable levels.
City of WilliamsportThe draft requires closed-loop cooling, favors reclaimed water, and allows private wells or direct stream withdrawals only if the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority documents it can't meet the need. Applicants would need written sign-off on capacity from the water and sanitary authorities, a drought-response plan, and an annual report on water use.
City of WilliamsportBackup generators would have to meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards, test only on weekdays, and be counted and disclosed with fuel storage before approval. Applicants must identify all sources of fine particulates, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides on the site.
City of WilliamsportBefore approval, an applicant must show that the utility can serve it without raising usage fees or reducing service for existing customers, and any off-site grid upgrades must be paid for by the developer.
City of WilliamsportBuildings would be limited to 45 feet and one story, set back at least 120 feet from property lines and 200 feet from sensitive receptors, with planted buffer yards of 100 to 300 feet along streets and near homes, depending on building footprint.
City of WilliamsportIn 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.
How communities push back →