Lower Merion draft would limit data centers to Bala Cynwyd district

Lower Merion’s draft zoning amendment would let data centers seek special-exception approval in a limited light-industrial corridor in Bala Cynwyd, with a proposed 60-foot height limit and 1,000-foot separation from residential zoning. The measure had not been adopted as of Oct. 30, 2026, when The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on it.

The township’s current zoning code does not define or regulate data centers as a distinct land use; data-processing facilities have historically been handled under broader use categories. The proposal would establish a specific approval route in the Light Industrial District, a corridor along the Schuylkill River in Bala Cynwyd.

Would the draft ban data centers across Lower Merion? No. It would allow them to seek approval by special exception in the designated district, rather than prohibit them township-wide. The township’s building and planning director said there were no data-center proposals in Lower Merion at the time of the report.

Cooling, studies and shutdown planning i

The draft calls for closed-loop cooling and thermal-impact mitigation. It also proposes noise studies; water and wastewater capacity studies; drought-response plans; public engagement; and a decommissioning plan for safely shutting down and removing equipment. These are proposed review and operating requirements, not a guarantee that impacts would be eliminated.

The Inquirer described concerns raised by residents around data-center development more broadly, including noise, pollution, electric-grid demand and water supply. It did not report a Lower Merion-specific public response to this draft.

Reviews were scheduled for November i

As of Oct. 30, Planning Commission review was scheduled for Nov. 2. The commission is advisory, according to Patch. Lower Merion’s meeting archive listed a Building and Planning Committee meeting for Nov. 11, 2026, at 6 p.m. Further public comment and an eventual Board of Commissioners vote were described as later steps; no final vote date had been reported.