LANCASTER TWP — Township supervisors took two steps toward regulating data centers at their Monday, July 13 workshop meeting.

The supervisors first approved a plan to have the township’s planning commission draft an ordinance to regulate data center development.

The motion calls for a standalone ordinance, separate from the township’s zoning rules. The new ordinance is set to be drafted by the planning commission’s Aug. 25 meeting.

The supervisors also added a motion to their July 20 regular meeting agenda that would declare parts of the zoning ordinance invalid and allow for a 30-day pause on data center development while the township considers next steps.

The next step in this process would be to make a resolution in August allowing for an additional 180-day moratorium. During the moratorium, the township would have time to make a curative amendment to its data ordinance which would include data centers.

Supervisors said they decided to use both processes to protect the township from any potential data center development and give the planning commission more time to draft an ordinance.

Supervisor Mike Doban said the benefits of going down both the standalone ordinance and curative amendment paths would far outweigh the costs.

“There’s almost no cost to making this motion, and the benefit is protecting the residents,” Doban said.

Lancaster Township is not the only Butler County township to use the curative amendment process to put a moratorium on data centers. Center Township put similar restrictions on data centers June 10, and Adams Township voted to implement a 180-day moratorium on six types of businesses, including data centers, during its Monday meeting.