The municipalities of Newtown Township, Upper Makefield Township, and Wrightstown Township are proposing a joint amendment to the Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO). The amendment seeks to create a new land use category, G-17 Data Center, and permit it as a conditional use within the QA-A Quarry/Agricultural Zoning District.
Recognizing data centers as an emerging land use, the Joint Municipal Zoning Council aims to proactively regulate these large-scale facilities to ensure they remain compatible with local infrastructure and community character. The ordinance establishes rigorous standards for dimensional requirements, utility consumption, noise mitigation, and lighting, while mandating comprehensive decommissioning protocols backed by financial security. Public hearings for the adoption of this ordinance are scheduled for August 2026 across the three participating townships.
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The Newtown Board of Supervisors at its 22 July 2026 meeting moved to advance a revised data center ordinance to the Jointure, the multi-township zoning agreement with Wrightstown and Upper Makefield, despite vocal pushback from residents like Kim Caputo, who labeled the draft “weak” compared to national standards.
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