Planning & Zoning
Marple Township advances a data-center zoning ordinance to a September hearing
A proposed ordinance and a related Cedar Grove Road land-development plan are moving through review. Nothing has been adopted.
By Marple Newtown News & Governance Watch staff · ·
What changed
A proposed zoning ordinance addressing data-center use appeared on the Marple Township Planning Commission agenda for August 27, 2026, alongside a land-development plan for 0 Cedar Grove Road. The Board of Commissioners scheduled a public hearing on the ordinance for September 14, 2026.
Current status
Proposal. The ordinance has been advertised and scheduled for hearing. No adoption vote is recorded in any official document we have reviewed.
Responsible body and meeting date
Marple Township Planning Commission (review) and Marple Township Board of Commissioners (adoption).
August 27, 2026 (Planning Commission); September 14, 2026 (public hearing)
How they voted
No recorded vote.
What the record says
- The August 27 Planning Commission agenda lists the data-center ordinance and the 0 Cedar Grove Road plan as items for review.
- The September 14 Board of Commissioners packet advertises a public hearing on the proposed ordinance.
- Neither document records an adopted ordinance number or a final vote.
Why it matters
Data-center zoning decides where a high-power, high-water, low-employment land use may be built, and what buffers, noise limits and traffic conditions apply. Once a use is permitted by right, later objections are far harder to raise.
“Why?” questions officials should answer
- In which zoning districts would data centers be permitted, and by right or by conditional use?
- What noise, water, backup-generator and setback standards are written into the draft text?
- What utility capacity study, if any, informed the draft?
- How does the 0 Cedar Grove Road plan relate to the ordinance timing?
Comparable prior decisions
Prior Marple land-development approvals along Cedar Grove Road provide the closest local comparison for buffer and traffic conditions.
Important differences: Those approvals involved different use categories and different power and water demands, so conditions are not directly transferable. We will not treat them as precedent without the full record.
Consistency review
No inconsistency identified at this stage. The review sequence — commission review before a scheduled public hearing — matches the township's normal ordinance process.
Deadlines and what to track next
- August 27, 2026 — Planning Commission review.
- September 14, 2026 — Board of Commissioners public hearing.
- After the hearing — watch for an adopted ordinance number and recorded roll call.
Official sources
Secondary context
- Regional reporting on Delaware County data-center proposals provides background only and is not used to establish any official outcome.
Updates and corrections log
No corrections or substantive updates have been made since publication.