OAKLAND TWP — Chairman Shaun M. Krill led the board of supervisors in a unanimous vote at its Wednesday meeting to adopt the township’s first regulations for data centers.

While no data centers have been proposed within the township, board members wanted to amend its subdivision and land development ordinance to account for data centers since, according to its website, the township does not have a dedicated zoning ordinance.

The new ordinance amends township subdivision and land development ordinance “to establish reasonable regulations governing the development of data centers and accessory developments in the township,” according to the board-approved motion.

Krill said the board has discussed data centers at its meetings for about eight months. He said claims on social media that the board acted quietly were “false allegations.”

Board members tabled the ordinance twice this year at its July 1 and Aug. 5 meetings for further research.

Township solicitor Tom Smith, who drafted the ordinance and recommended its adoption, said the ordinance is not perfect but it is enough to adopt. The board can amend it later to make it stronger.

In an Oct. 7 meeting, Smith said he did not want to drag the process out because of the data center fight in Forward Township, and he reiterated this urgency at Wednesday’s meeting.

Ahead of the decision, township resident Erin Schollaert, who owns a technology firm, asked the board to postpone adoption until the ordinance is strengthened.

On electricity, Schollaert cited a Virginia legislative audit study that projected data centers could raise household electric bills by up to $40 a month. She expressed concern that costs could be passed on to residents, many of whom get power from Central Electric Cooperative.

On water, she said the ordinance makes a data center’s duty to repair a damaged well wait on a decision over whether the center caused the damage. She asked, who pays for testing and temporary water in the meantime?

Smith said the ordinance requires a data center to pay township fees and costs in advance and to pay for water damage.

He said potential water damage would cause inconveniences for residents and repairs would not occur in 24 hours. He said a center that disputes a damage determination would likely sue and a case could take years in court.

Smith added that the ordinance requires a center to send groundwater monitoring data to the township engineer each month.

Resident James Free asked about the ordinance’s limits; while it sets a minimum lot size of 15 acres for a data center, there is no proposed maximum lot size.

Smith said impervious surface coverage on a lot is capped at 200,000 square feet, including buildings and access roads. He said a large parcel could be subdivided with a second center built on the new lot.

The township cannot regulate a center built across its border or state permits governing water withdrawals, but a warehouse converted to a data center would fall under the ordinance, Smith said.

Oakland is one of several Butler County townships that wrote data center rules this year.

Penn Township supervisors enacted Ordinance 183 on Oct. 13, which makes data centers a conditional use property in a small limited industrial district, requires public water and sewer, sets noise limits and requires impact studies.

Penn Township officials said no project was pending there.

Other places like Adams Township adopted a 180-day pause covering data centers and five other uses on July 13.

In other business, the board approved a preliminary 2027 budget and voted to advertise adoption of the budget at the Dec. 2 meeting.

Board members also awarded a pipe contract for the 2026 culvert replacement project on Shearer and Whitmire roads to Key Precast Supply Company at $14,100.20. The bid covers 840 feet of pipe in diameters from 12 inches to 48 inches and two catch basins with grates. The award is pending township’s receipt of the company’s required documents.

About 25 people attended Wednesday’s meeting. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 2, at the municipal building.