Lower Saucon Planners Discuss Ordinance That Could Regulate Data Centers

The Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission held its first meeting of the year on Wednesday, Feb. 26, electing new leadership, reviewing a draft data center ordinance and approving minutes from October 2025.

New Leadership Takes the Helm

With a quorum of commission members present — Christopher Nagy, Thomas Bartek, Veronica Gress, Shorav Kaushik and Aleksandra Janjic — the commission moved through its leadership elections:

• Chair: Christopher Nagy was nominated, seconded by Aleksandra Janjic and approved unanimously.
• Vice Chair: Jennifer Peters, who was absent, was nominated and approved unanimously.
• Secretary: Thomas Bartek was nominated and approved unanimously.

The commission also voted unanimously to keep its existing meeting schedule: the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., with November and December meetings shifted to the third Thursday due to holidays.

Data Center Draft Ordinance Sparks Detailed Discussion

The bulk of the meeting centered on a review of a proposed draft data center ordinance, which represents a proactive effort by the township to regulate where and under what conditions data centers can be located.

Township Solicitor Steve Goudsouzian framed the discussion, explaining that Lower Saucon is “trying to get ahead of various issues” as data centers become a hot topic across the Lehigh Valley and beyond. He emphasized that leaving data centers out of the ordinance entirely would be “literally the worst thing you can do” from a municipal standpoint, as it could allow a landowner to potentially place a data center anywhere.

“You’re regulating data centers and you’re making sure that they’re at the appropriate place with the appropriate setbacks, the appropriate requirements,” Goudsouzian told the commission.

The commission was told that the proposed ordinance drafted by staff at Hanover Engineering is modeled after what is considered one of the better existing data center ordinances, from a municipality in the Poconos region. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) was simultaneously reviewing the draft at its own meeting the same evening.

Goudsouzian noted the township intends to move forward with the ordinance, with a target of passage by April.

“The goal for the township is get one on the books,” he said, adding that even if it’s “not ideal,” it can “always be amended.”

The draft defines data centers, accessory uses, cryptocurrency mining facilities and data center equipment, and designates data centers as a conditional use within the Light Manufacturing (LM) zoning district, which is roughly located south of Steel City near the area of Bethlehem Landfill, with an additional LM portion along Easton Road.

One of the commission’s recommendations for it was increasing the setback from residential zoning districts and sensitive receptors from 200 to 300 feet.

“I would be more comfortable from 300 feet at a minimum because from everything that I was reading around the noise that it can create and all of that, that’s the biggest issue,” commissioner Janjic said.

The commission also discussed expanding the definition of “sensitive receptors.” The draft listed residential uses, schools, preschools, daycare centers, in-home daycares, long-term care facilities, retirement and nursing homes, community centers, places of worship, parks (excluding trails), campgrounds, prisons and dormitories. Commissioner Kaushik suggested adding catchall language — something along the lines of “or any other facility providing similar services to the community” — to prevent a developer from arguing a neighboring use doesn’t technically match the list.

A representative from Hanover Engineering recommended aligning the ordinance’s noise restrictions with the township’s existing neighborhood protection section of the zoning code, which bases decibel limits on the receiving land use rather than applying a flat standard across the board.

Janjic also raised the issue of generator testing noise, noting that data centers typically test backup generators monthly and perform load testing at least annually.

The draft ordinance requires a 100-foot landscape buffer around the perimeter of any data center property, with a 25-foot vegetative planting row of heavy density within that buffer.

The commission recommended increasing the setback for roof-mounted equipment from 300 to 400 feet from any road, with the rationale that the equipment is a primary noise source.

Water usage by data centers is often a significant concern, because of their use of large amounts of water for cooling systems.

Bartek raised the possibility of requiring or recommending closed-loop geothermal cooling systems, drawing on what he said is his personal experience with such systems on two major projects involving 200 bores at 500 feet. He described how the system sends heated water back into the earth to cool, eliminating water waste and the need for chemical additives.

The commission asked Hanover Engineering to explore adding language recommending a closed-loop system as an option.

Kaushik raised concerns about fire suppression, noting a facility the size of a data center would need significant water capacity that a well likely could not provide. The Hanover Engineering representative confirmed that the ordinance requires documentation from a water supplier confirming adequate capacity.

The commission also discussed the potential 24/7 operation of natural gas or gasoline-powered backup generators, which could reduce air quality in the township, and was told by the representative that the township’s existing neighborhood protection section covers air quality, but that the language in that section of the data center ordinance would be verified.

The draft ordinance includes a “strong recommendation” for LEED certification and solar power usage. Goudsouzian explained that a requirement carries enforcement teeth, but cautioned that being “too restrictive” could potentially open the township to legal challenge, describing a balance Hanover Engineering was trying to strike with the recommendation option.

The ordinance requires an emergency response plan prepared by a qualified professional, including training for first responders. Kaushik noted the provision essentially asks data center operators to train the local volunteer fire department in data center-specific firefighting, which he called “a great idea.”

Following the discussion, the commission voted unanimously to forward the draft data center ordinance with its recommendations to Township Council.

Warehouse Proposal Removed From Agenda

One item that did not come before the commission Feb. 26 was a proposed approximately 121,680-square-foot warehouse at Easton Road and Mockingbird Hill Road, submitted by Menlo Easton Associates LLC, which was removed from the meeting agenda at the developer’s request. Hanover Engineering’s review letter for the proposal, dated Feb. 20, 2026 and addressed to Acting Township Manager Jay Finnigan, contained an extensive list of comments spanning subdivision and land development ordinance issues, stormwater management, zoning, carbonate geology concerns and general design deficiencies.

The project proposes consolidating three existing lots — approximately 12.78 acres, 3.12 acres and 1.86 acres — into one parcel, demolishing all existing structures and constructing the warehouse with a driveway entrance on Easton Road, parking, truck loading areas and stormwater management facilities. The property sits in the Light Manufacturing (LM) District and the Carbonate Geology Overlay District. A Dynamic Earth Carbonate Rock Study from November 2025 confirmed the site is underlain by dolomite bedrock susceptible to sinkhole formation and recommended supplemental geotechnical investigation.

Minutes Approved, Community Zoning Event Announced

The commission also approved the minutes from its Oct. 23, 2025 meeting.

Before adjournment, township council president Victoria Opthof-Cordaro–participating via phone as a Township Council liaison–announced that the LVPC will hold a community zoning and planning intake event on Monday, March 16, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Saucon Valley High School. The event is designed to gather public feedback on what residents would like to see–and not see–in the community’s future development.

“This is really looking at something that would make a big difference in the future for the next generation of people in our township,” Opthof-Cordaro told the commission, encouraging members and their neighbors to attend.