North Coventry Township's board of supervisors has authorized Township Manager Erica Batdorf to begin laying the groundwork for a zoning ordinance to address data centers, and it may enact a 180-day moratorium — known legally as a curative amendment — to buy time to get it done. Supervisors Chair Bill Soumis noted that the only area where a data center would currently be permitted is the township's industrial zone, much of which lies in a floodplain, and that no applications are pending — though the township was previously approached about a smaller "boutique" data center off Route 724 that was withdrawn after strong public opposition. State Sen. Katie Muth (D-44) endorsed the curative amendment approach and also highlighted Senate Resolution 211, which directs a bipartisan legislative agency to conduct a comprehensive study of Pennsylvania's 1968 Municipalities Planning Code — a review that will include the growing challenge of data center development and is expected to be completed within 180 days.
Source: The Mercury; 5/12/2026