Allentown CED Meeting: Data Center Zoning, Vacant Property Registry, and Budget Amendment - May 14, 2026
Allentown CED Committee Meeting - May 14, 2026
The Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee met on May 14, 2026, at 11:00 AM to discuss three agenda items: a proposed data center zoning ordinance (Bill 20), a vacant and at-risk property registry (Bill 33), and a budget amendment for grant fund distribution (Bill 34). The meeting included presentations from city staff, public comments, and committee deliberation.
Consent Calendar
- No items designated as consent calendar; all items were discussed individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Data Center Ordinance (Bill 20): Kyle Rowski, Chair of the Allentown Environmental Advisory Council (EAC), expressed support for the ordinance, noting that EAC provided a detailed letter attached to the agenda. He urged advancement of the bill, emphasizing that environmental protection is integral to community well-being. He praised the collaborative process with the planning bureau. A member of the public, Samuel, raised concerns about noise levels from 24/7 operations and asked about noise limits. Vicky Hillman responded that noise levels default to industrial standards, with additional provisions for low-frequency sounds and pre- and post-sound analysis. Samuel also inquired about the urgency of passing the ordinance. Council member Bender clarified that if not passed now, the process would restart, and that amendments could be made later.
- Vacant Property Registry (Bill 33): Asher Shabone, representing the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtor Association, expressed concerns about the broad definition of "vacant property," the 10-day appeal process, and potential unintended consequences. He requested objective criteria for determining vacancy, a longer appeal period (15-30 days), and a hardship provision. He acknowledged the city's intent but stressed the need for clarity. Vice Chair Hillman responded that the ordinance is amendable, and the registry is a tool to identify contacts for first responders and to prevent blight.
Discussion Items
- Bill 20 – Data Center Zoning Amendment: Planning Director Jennifer Gomez presented the ordinance, which defines data centers and data center accessory uses, permits them as special exceptions in two industrial zoning districts (IG and IM), and establishes site standards including minimum acreage (5-8 acres), setbacks (75 ft from streets, 200 ft from sensitive uses, 50 ft from property lines), building design, and required studies (environmental impact, noise/vibration, water/sewer, power, e-waste, heat mitigation, emergency response). The ordinance received positive feedback from the EAC, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and Allentown Planning Commission. Council members Bender and Garlock raised questions about penalties for violations, water protections, community benefits agreements, and perimeter security (robotic systems). Bender noted that the city cannot impose penalties beyond typical zoning violations and cannot require renewable energy. Garlock compared the ordinance to PennFuture's model, highlighting areas where Allentown's version is stronger (EAC review, greenhouse gas review) and areas where it could be strengthened (sensitive receptor definition, water protections, mandatory water-efficient cooling). Hillman and Gomez noted that the fee structure and enforcement rely on existing zoning processes.
- Bill 33 – Vacant and At-Risk Property Registry: Ms. Kissler presented the ordinance, which repeals the abandoned property blight chapter and adopts a new chapter creating a registry for vacant and at-risk properties. The registry requires owners to register properties vacant for 90+ continuous days, pay a fee (intended to cover enforcement costs), maintain lighting, and allow an annual inspection. It differentiates between residential and commercial. Council members discussed triggers for identification (neighbor complaints, tax delinquency, forwarded mail), the definition of vacant (furnished, utilities connected, no evidence of vacancy), and the appeals process through the Blighted Property Review Committee. Bender and Garlock raised concerns about unintended consequences for property owners in hardship (medical treatment, incarceration, military service). The administration agreed to work on amendments, including a hardship provision and clarifying criteria. Napoli stressed the need to hold commercial property owners accountable, especially in the Central Business District. The committee voted to table the bill for revisions.
- Bill 34 – General Fund Budget Amendment: Ms. Kissler explained that the amendment adjusts the cost distribution for two employees (senior planner and assistant planner) under the Recompete grant, shifting a larger percentage of the senior planner's salary to grant funds to save $3,000-$4,000 from the general fund. The change reflects actual time spent on grant activities. Council member Bender asked if the shift would reduce other grant-funded services; Kissler confirmed the grant has a fixed salary pool and the adjustment reallocates within it. The committee voted to forward the bill favorably to full council.
Key Outcomes
- Bill 20 (Data Center Zoning): Committee voted to move the bill forward favorably to the regular council meeting. (Motion by Bender, all in favor.)
- Bill 33 (Vacant Property Registry): Committee voted to table the bill for further revisions, with a goal to bring proposed amendments to a future CED meeting in early June, skipping the May 20 council meeting. (Motion by Napoli, seconded by Garlock, all in favor.)
- Bill 34 (Budget Amendment): Committee voted to forward the bill favorably to full council. (Motion by Bender, seconded by ? all in favor.)
- The administration indicated it would return with a reclassification request for a grants management position in the future.
Meeting Transcript
Start the CED meeting. Everyone on the committee is present, and all presenters it looks like are also here. So Mr. Hillman. Bill 20 and manage the Part 2 General Legislation, Chapter 660 Zoning, Article 5 Uses, Table 6604, Use Table, and Section 66038 Manufacturing Industry Group, adding the use category data center use and Article 14 measurement and definitions, Section 660, 135 terms beginning with D and Section 660149 terms beginning with R, adding the definition of data center, data center accessory use and renewable energy. All right. So the staff has been receiving inquiries, has been researching data center ordinances, and I would like to turn it over to Jennifer Gomez, who is our planning director, who really has done an extensive deep dive with her staff into other ordinances and put together what we feel is a productive and rather straightforward or as straightforward as this topic could be ordinance for the city. Okay, thank you, Vicky. Jennifer Gomez, I'm uh planning director, and we worked extensively on this ordinance. Um we reviewed all of the other ordinance to date that had prepared various data center ordinances and processed them through Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. We've also worked with their staff with the model ordinance through Penn Future with the Allentown Environmental Advisory Councils feedback as well as feedback from almost all development related departments throughout the city. So Vicky did a good job introducing it. Um, a few details of the ordinance. One, it it for the first time defines data centers. We also have defined accessory data centers so we can review all of the equipment associated with that as well. Uh we have defined locations where they would be allowed in in Pennsylvania per the NPC, you do need to allow them somewhere within your city. So we've identified two industrial zoning districts. The city currently has three industrial zoning districts. Uh, the IX district, um, the IX district is um uh a blend of commercial and industrial type zoning and is it typically closest to some of our commercial and residential uses. The IG and the IM general industrial excuse me and general industrial and industrial manufacturing zoning districts are um our most uh intense zoning districts throughout the city. Uh it is not a buy-right use, it's a a uh uh special exception use, which means it needs a zoning hearing board decision before a public hearing before a decision can be made. Through this ordinance, we've defined a very specific process due to the uh potential impacts of this use. We thought it was really important to get feedback through the Allentown Environment Allentown Environmental Advisory Council as part of the process. So we will get the their feedback when a specific application comes in. Um like any special exception use that involves the site plan change, it'll also go to the Allentown Planning Commission for their feedback. And uh, if we need the the Shade Tree, Allentown Shade Trees feedback on specific buffering and trees around the use, we will take it there as well. Ultimately, it will the use decision will come to the zoning hearing board upon review of the criteria in the code as well as the feedback provided. Within those uh zoning districts, we have the IGN IM for anything over 50,000 square feet. So this starts to turn into the larger data center type uses. There's a minimum acreage requirement of five or eight acres, um, depending on the zoning district. Um, what that does is really limits the locations where these industrial uses can go to some of our larger industrial sites that are more equipped to handle it. Uh we also have setbacks, um, 75 feet from a street. Um there's 200 feet from certain sensitive uses such as residential, civic, institutional, and child care uses, and 50 feet from all property lines. So this helps us ensure that the buildings, if they're constructed, are further back and deeper into the sites and away from the streets, streets and the neighbors. Or building design standards. We require a 25-foot landscape buffer. We've got prescriptive standards throughout both this use as well as throughout the regular zoning industrial separation requirements. Any buildings that are facing the street have to meet certain design standards. There's a maximum height that is at 50 feet. And for those districts that allow higher heights, up to 70 feet max. And most importantly, we require extensive studies, including environmental impact, noise and vibration, water utilization and sewer, power, encouraging renewable energy. They must submit plans for any electronic waste for heat mitigation and emergency response. And we do, as the city, have a right to work with a third party reviewer if needed to review and evaluate those environmental impacts and whether any additional mitigation is required. We've received positive feedback from the Allentown Advisory Council from the Lehigh Plant Valley Planning Commission and letter support from the Allentown Planning Commission. So this is a new emerging use. And before we open it up, I just want to add that a lot of thought went into those setbacks and those distances based on noise and based on buffering for the activity. But then will also run continuously during a true regional grid power outage. So some of those setbacks and things like that are designed to buffer noise should heaven forbid that happen, or during the testing part of the operation. Okay. Okay.
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