Limerick Township’s massive data center proposal just ran into a wall of fine print. This week, township planners attached 18 recommended conditions to any approval of a proposed 1.4-million-square-foot data center campus on roughly 192 acres across from the Philadelphia Premium Outlets. The planning commission’s move, made after a crowded public meeting, signals to the Board of Supervisors that the project should not advance without a thick layer of technical and community safeguards. Neighbors at the session said they were worried about nonstop noise, heavy water withdrawals, diesel emissions and what the complex could do to property values over time.
What planners want
The commission’s package would force the developer to clear several specific hurdles before supervisors vote. The list includes an ambient noise survey before construction and follow-up sound testing after the site is built, updated will-serve letters from Pennsylvania American Water to prove there is adequate supply, and a letter from Aqua Pennsylvania confirming there is enough sewer capacity. Planners also want a de-commissioning bond so money is set aside to repurpose or remove the facility if it is ever taken offline, and a requirement to evaluate closed-loop cooling that could significantly reduce water use. The conditions ask the developer to strongly consider using natural gas instead of diesel for backup generation and to provide more detail about a proposed power line crossing the Schuylkill River, according to the Pottstown Mercury.
Project footprint and utilities
According to Data Center Dynamics, the proposal from MCD 7 LLC, labeled Project Laurel in filings, calls for eight data buildings, with five at about 154,000 square feet and three at roughly 202,000 square feet. The plan also includes two 35-foot-tall administrative buildings and on-site substations. Industry reporting says each data building would carry around 30 to 45 rooftop chillers and a similar number of backup generators, and PECO has reportedly committed roughly 750 megawatts of capacity to serve the campus. Mapping of the project by DataCenterMap places the parcel between Sanatoga, Evergreen, Possum Hollow and Lightcap roads, directly across from the Premium Outlets.
Community reaction and tax math
Roughly 100 people turned out for the planning meeting, and public comments zeroed in on noise, vibration, high water use and diesel emissions from backup power. The developer has said the campus could generate an estimated $10 million to $20 million in annual tax revenue when it is fully built. Records reviewed by planners also reference a proposed community-benefit protection that is intended to preserve roughly $40 million a year in tax revenue for the township, Montgomery County and the Spring-Ford Area School District. Those estimates and the local concerns are outlined in the project record reported by the Pottstown Mercury.
Next steps and the approval process
The planning commission is an advisory body, so its recommendation and list of conditions do not themselves approve the conditional-use request. The elected Board of Supervisors will hold the quasi-judicial hearing and make the formal decision, with a separate land-development review to follow if supervisors grant approval. Limerick’s data center overlay already sets noise, woodland and water-service standards that applicants must meet as part of a conditional-use submission, as laid out in the township ordinance. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the matter at its April 14 public meeting at Spring-Ford High School. The township calendar notes that the session will be held in the school auditorium and will be live-streamed for remote viewers, in line with the township calendar and ordinance documents.
