Williamsport PA data center curative zoning amendment (draft)
Williamsport, PA — City Council Declares 1998 Zoning Ordinance 'Substantively Invalid' for Lacking Data Center Rules and Finalizes Draft Curative Zoning Amendment (October 2026)
Williamsport, PA · City of Williamsport, PA, draft curative zoning amendment for data centers (Oct. 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Williamsport, PA
- Enforced by
- Williamsport City Council; Zoning Officer
Williamsport's City Council voted 6-0 to declare its 1998 zoning ordinance invalid because it has no rules for data centers, which pauses such development while the city writes them. The council has now finished a draft amendment that defines data centers and their support infrastructure and sets protections around places like schools, hospitals and homes. The amendment has not been adopted.
Who is protected: Williamsport, PA residents
Legal detail
Pennsylvania MPC municipal curative-amendment process: council declared its 1998 zoning ordinance 'substantively invalid' (6-0) for lacking regulations for data centers and power-generating/ancillary infrastructure — not a ban and not a project approval — pausing development while a curative amendment is drafted. Draft amendment defines data centers and accessory uses (air handlers, generators, cooling/water storage, substations) and 'sensitive receptors' (schools, day cares, hospitals, nursing homes, places of worship, parks, residences, etc.). PA law does not allow a total prohibition. No data center application pending in the city. NOT ESTABLISHED: date of the invalidity vote, ordinance number, hearing/adoption schedule.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Williamsport, PA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | City of Williamsport, PA, draft curative zoning amendment for data centers (Oct. 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Williamsport City Council finalizes draft zoning ordinance for data centers — Williamsport Sun-Gazette (Oct. 7, 2026) |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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