Reading City Council puts 180-day moratorium on applications for artificial intelligence data centers - WFMZ.com

READING., Pa. – Reading City Council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt a resolution to invoke the curative amendment process for the city’s zoning ordinance, which makes a determination that the zoning ordinance is defective as it relates to artificial intelligence data centers.

The resolution gives the city 180 days to amend its zoning ordinance.

Council solicitor Michael Gombar explained that going through the curative amendment process- which is a process permitted by state law- the city is not required to consider any zoning permit application for any use or development related to a data center.

“It gives the municipality a 180-day period to come up with its rules and regulations to put into a zoning ordinance amendment to incorporate any proposed rules and regulations to address data centers,” Gombar said. “If any developer would like to come forward with the proposed use in those 180 days, it would not be entertained until the zoning ordinance amendment would be enacted and then it would be subject to any zoning ordinance amendment that would be put in place prior to the expiration of that 180 day.”

Gombar noted that there are no AI data center applications currently before the city.

The city’s zoning ordinance does not currently provide for the use of AI data centers, which makes the city vulnerable to a developer applying to place a data center in any zoning district.

Municipalities must provide opportunities for every use within its zoning map.

The topic was brought forward at the July 6 committee-of-the-whole when Councilman Jaime Baez took presented a proposed zoning amendment that would limit data centers to the heavy manufacturing zoning district by means of a conditional use application.

A conditional use approval means a case must come before city council rather than the zoning hearing board.

Baez said that at the end of the six-months, he looks forward to passing a law that will protect residents and the resources that residents need.

A few members of the public attended to thank council for considering the curative amendment and make statements voicing opposition to AI data centers.

City resident Christopher Garcia said a moratorium will allow the city to adapt the current zoning rules to better understand what zoning centers would mean for the city.

“Data centers are just the next in a long trend of businesses insisting that they're going to provide economic opportunity and new jobs only to leave vacant lots,” Garcia said. “Only this time, the data centers threaten to not only affect people in the future but affect people in the present. Data centers have been known to use up an enormous amount of energy, and at a time where we're already seeing irregular temperatures, that is not something that we need in our backyard.”

Council President Donna Reed said that sometimes it is important to take extra time as part of the legislative process.