Hummelstown Borough Backs South Hanover Challenge to Proposed Data Center

Hummelstown Borough officials are positioning the borough to support neighboring South Hanover Township as the township contests zoning relief sought for a proposed data-center campus on property bordering Hummelstown.

In a statement dated July 21, 2026, the borough said its mayor, council and staff remain concerned about HCI DP Land Acquisition LLC’s proposed development in South Hanover Township. Hummelstown said it is reserving the right to intervene as a party in matters before the South Hanover Zoning Hearing Board.

For now, the borough’s stated plan is to support South Hanover by offering testimony and technical assistance to the township’s litigation counsel. The borough did not specify the subjects of that testimony, the precise assistance planned or whether it has formally sought party status.

The proposed site is in South Hanover Township

The development is not located inside Hummelstown Borough. Hummelstown Borough and South Hanover Township are separate municipalities in Dauphin County, and the proposed properties in South Hanover border Hummelstown.

Independent reporting by WGAL described the proposal as involving nearly 250 acres in South Hanover’s industrial park district at a former quarry site. Data Center Dynamics reported that HCI’s plans involve two data-center buildings and an electrical substation on a roughly 250-acre former Pennsy Supply quarry property along Wagner Street.

The project remains a proposal. The available sources do not establish final project approval, construction authorization or a final zoning decision.

Two proceedings are separate

The zoning request and the township’s ordinance work are separate proceedings. HCI’s zoning requests are before the South Hanover Zoning Hearing Board, while the township is also considering an ordinance addressing data centers.

South Hanover Township’s official public-notices page lists a public hearing for Data Center Ordinance 1-2026 at 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The township’s public-notices page also warns that boards may hold additional hearings that are not posted online and directs residents to contact the municipal office for information.

The August 17, 2026, zoning-hearing date is listed by the Protect South Hanover Township, Hummelstown & Hershey project-information site, but it was not confirmed on the official South Hanover township pages reviewed for this article. That site is an advocacy platform, not a neutral government record. Residents should confirm the Zoning Hearing Board schedule with the township before attending.

What Hummelstown’s role means

Hummelstown’s action positions the borough to participate in a neighboring municipality’s land-use process because the proposed property borders the borough. It does not give Hummelstown approval authority over the project, and the borough has not said that it has formally intervened.

The July 21 statement shows that Hummelstown officials have aligned themselves with South Hanover’s effort to challenge HCI’s zoning requests. It does not establish that the borough has a veto over the project or that any intervention has been accepted.

For Hummelstown residents, the immediate issue is the borough’s possible legal, technical and testimonial participation in South Hanover’s proceedings. The proposed campus remains subject to the township’s zoning and ordinance processes, and the available sources do not establish whether it ultimately will be approved or built.

Sources

• July 2026 Data Center Update — Hummelstown Borough
• South Hanover Township Public Notices
• Hummelstown officials oppose AI data center zoning in neighboring township — WGAL
• Data centers planned at former quarry in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania — Data Center Dynamics