Archbald PA stricter data center ordinance draft (2026)

Archbald Borough (Lackawanna County, PA), draft data center zoning ordinance (26 pages), reported by The Times-Tribune on September 23, 2026. BACKGROUND: the March 2023 zoning ordinance did not define data centers and allowed them as principal permitted uses in several commercial and industrial districts. A November 2025 amendment, adopted by a divided council, made them conditional uses in four overlay districts, including the Wildcat Ridge, Project Scott and Project Green Mountain sites, and exempted backup generators from noise limits. All four members who voted for it have since left office. DRAFT CHANGES: removes the overlays; data centers become conditional uses only in the general industrial district (Valley View Business Park / Archbald Heights Road area); removes the generator noise exemptions; bans using emergency or backup power for peak shaving and grid support; requires the most stringent generator emissions tier; regulates low-frequency (dBC) sound, with about 8 pages on acoustics. REQUIRED SUBMISSIONS: environmental impact study, public health impact analysis (including cumulative impacts), thermal impact / heat dissipation study, community emergency response action plan, traffic impact study, property value impact assessment, mandatory bonding, and a decommissioning and site restoration plan. PROCESS: council must vote to advertise the finalized ordinance and zoning map for a public hearing before adoption (borough solicitor Jay O'Connor). Zoning amendments apply only prospectively, but any re-application after a denial or withdrawal would fall under the new standards. NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number and hearing date.