By Jesse Sweigart | The Columbia Chronicle
A proposed zoning ordinance authored by Columbia Borough council member Ethan Byers is being promoted as a measure to remove data centers from the former Columbia Airport property. But a closer look at the ordinance raises an important question: Does it actually stop data centers in Columbia, or does it simply move them to another large parcel somewhere else in town?
At first glance, the proposal appears straightforward. The ordinance would amend Columbia’s zoning code to make data centers “Not Permitted” within the Borough’s Light Business (LB) zoning district while allowing them as a Conditional Use in Light Industrial (LI) and General Industrial (GI) districts.
That distinction may be more important than many residents realize.
Not a Ban, But a Relocation?
Contrary to what some residents may assume, the ordinance does not prohibit data centers throughout Columbia Borough. Instead, it removes them from one zoning district while preserving a path for approval elsewhere. Under the proposed language, a developer could still seek approval for a data center within industrially zoned areas through the Conditional Use process.
This has led some residents to characterize the proposal as a “band-aid” rather than a long-term solution.
The concern centers on large industrial properties that remain available within the Borough. One frequently mentioned example is the former Colonial Metals property, a privately owned site currently being marketed for redevelopment. If the property is located within an LI or GI district, a future developer could potentially pursue a data center proposal there despite the adoption of this ordinance.
If that is the case, then the ordinance does not eliminate the possibility of a data center in Columbia. It merely removes one potential location.
The Airport Property Is Borough-Owned
Another important fact often overlooked in public discussion is that the former airport property is owned by Columbia Borough itself.
Because the Borough owns the land, Council already possesses substantial control over how that property is marketed, leased, or sold. As the landowner, the Borough can decide what type of development it wishes to encourage or discourage on that site.
That reality raises another question:
If the Borough’s goal is specifically to prevent a data center at the airport, was a zoning amendment necessary, or could the Borough simply have chosen not to pursue that use on its own property?
Missing Questions in the Ordinance
The ordinance cites preserving neighborhood character, maintaining quality of life, and protecting property values as justification for the zoning change.
However, the proposal contains little discussion of the specific impacts commonly associated with modern data centers, including:
- Electrical demand
- Backup generator operations
- Noise levels
- Cooling systems
- Water consumption
- Traffic impacts
- Environmental considerations
Instead, the ordinance focuses almost entirely on location.
Critics may argue that if data centers pose concerns related to noise, infrastructure, or quality of life, those concerns would potentially exist regardless of whether the facility is built at the airport or another large industrial parcel.
Could Another Site Be Next?
Perhaps the most significant unanswered question is whether Borough officials conducted a comprehensive review of all industrially zoned properties before proposing the amendment.
If similarly sized parcels remain available in LI and GI districts, the Borough may eventually find itself debating another data center proposal at another location.
That possibility has led some residents to ask whether the ordinance is truly a community-wide land-use policy or simply a reaction to one specific development proposal.
A comprehensive approach might have included performance standards regulating the impacts of large data centers throughout the Borough rather than focusing solely on zoning districts.
Conditional Use Still Means Approval Is Possible
The phrase “Conditional Use” can sometimes create the impression that a project has effectively been prohibited.
In reality, Conditional Use applications may still be approved if an applicant satisfies the requirements established under Borough ordinances and Pennsylvania land-use law. The process typically involves public hearings and Borough Council review but does not automatically prevent development.
As a result, data center developers would still retain a potential pathway into Columbia through industrially zoned areas if the ordinance is adopted in its current form.
The Bigger Question for Residents
Whether residents support or oppose data centers, the ordinance raises a larger policy question:
Is Columbia trying to stop data centers altogether, or is it only trying to stop a data center at the airport?
The answer matters because the ordinance appears to accomplish one of those goals far more effectively than the other.
If the objective is preventing development at the Borough-owned airport property, the proposal may accomplish that purpose.
If the objective is preventing large-scale data center development within Columbia Borough entirely, then residents may wish to ask why similarly sized industrial properties appear to remain available under the zoning code.
As public discussion continues, Borough Council and the Planning Commission may ultimately need to answer a simple but important question:
Is this a long-term planning strategy, or just a band-aid for one property?
That is all the proposed ordinance does, it removes its possibility entirely from the McGinness site, satisfying the “not in my neighborhood” angst from Manor Street residents. PA law does not allow zoning to completely ban legislation that forbids any particular type of business in the borough, it must be allowed somewhere. People should remember this from all the tension that was created from a certain adult establishment on Union Street that no longer exists. It is important to remember that the points you mentioned above as not being addressed by the ne ordinance voted on will be addressed in ordinance 966 that the borough Legislation leads, borough staff, and our solicitor have been working on. And that is why certain members voted against the motion, asking that time be given to get 966 passed first. Unfortunately due to unnecessary furor that was stirred up again, the July 7 work session at which 966 was to be discussed and hopefully recommended for approval was cancelled, along with a decision to not include discussion on land banks until a future as yet scheduled council meeting. This meeting will most likely occur in early August due to council and staff member vacations. It is also important to remember that the ordinance approved by a 4-3 vote will now be advanced to our own Planning Commission as well as Lancaster County Planning Commission for review, so changes to the proposal may be recommended by them. Time will tell.
For small towns with few businesses, long-term data center impacts are mixed. While they deliver substantial property tax revenue to fund local infrastructure, long-term economic growth remains limited. Because these facilities operate as massive, automated infrastructure, they bring minimal permanent job creation, and resource strains on rural utility grids are common.
The primary long-term effects of siting data centers in small, rural municipalities include:
1. Economic and Job Impacts
Minimal Job Creation: While construction creates temporary, high-paying jobs for trade workers, operational staffing is small, often limited to a few dozen security, maintenance, and technical roles.
Negligible Business Spillovers: Economic analyses show that rural counties experience much less local job and wage spillover compared to metropolitan areas, largely because small towns lack the existing network of contractors, equipment suppliers, and specialized labor.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Windfall Tax Revenue: Facilities provide a massive expansion to the local tax base. Municipalities and school districts often use these funds to improve roads, schools, and emergency services without raising residential property taxes.
2. Infrastructure and Resource Strains
Grid and Utilities Burden: Data centers require immense electricity and water to run and cool servers. In areas with limited infrastructure, this can strain local energy grids.
Water Scarcity: Facilities utilizing evaporative cooling can consume millions of gallons of water daily, potentially depleting local water tables in regions that are already drought prone.
Consumer Reports
Noise and Environmental Disturbance: The cooling systems and backup diesel generators run 24/7, creating permanent noise pollution that degrades the rural environment.
3. Community Character
Loss of Rural Character: Massive windowless buildings and large transmission lines often alter the aesthetic of small agricultural or rural towns.
Skewed Growth: While tax revenues increase, the lack of ancillary local business means the town may simply become an infrastructure hub rather than a revitalized commercial center.
To explore how these tradeoffs might apply to your specific municipality, several resources provide deep-dive evaluations for local governments. The Brookings Institution evaluates the implications of siting these centers in rural areas, while the World Resources Institute details their impacts on energy and community health.
I think Columbia council should start to worry about what their boro citizens right done
Again they think they are smarter than the citizens in the community they move the meeting to August, so no one shows up to question them. This is what the citizens are totally upset about. they can’t be trusted and who’s pocket is being lined .