The New Morgan Borough Council has unanimously approved a pair of contentious zoning measures that clear the way for data center development along Route 10, moving forward despite forceful opposition from hundreds of nearby community members.
The municipal decision officially converts a designated parcel from an R-Residential classification to an I-Industrial zoning designation. In tandem with the rezoning, council members established a dedicated data center overlay district situated at the intersection of Route 10 and Furnace Road, directly across from the entrance to Historic Joanna Furnace.
Action on the measures followed two consecutive legislative hearings held at the New Morgan Borough Hall on Bethlehem Drive. The turnout dramatically eclipsed the size of the host municipality, drawing more than 200 people to a borough that recorded a population of only 54 residents in the 2020 census.
The overwhelming majority of attendees traveled from neighboring municipalities, including Robeson and Caernarvon townships, to challenge the initiative. The sheer volume of people quickly overwhelmed the municipal facility’s modest conference room, which offered only about a dozen chairs for the public.
With seating exhausted immediately, attendees packed the interior hallways and lobby, while dozens more spilled out through the front entrance into the parking lot. Several frustrated participants questioned why borough leadership chose not to relocate the proceedings to a larger venue, noting that many people outside were entirely unable to hear the deliberations.
Borough Solicitor Nicole Plank, who presided over the separate legislative hearings for the zoning map amendment and the regulatory ordinance, defended the timing of the vote. She repeatedly stressed that no formal development application for a data center has been filed with the borough, arguing that establishing clear parameters beforehand represents a proactive approach.
Plank explained that the newly adopted ordinance incorporates specific regulatory frameworks designed to govern potential community impacts. According to the solicitor, the rules establish baseline standards for electrical usage, water consumption, noise thresholds, structural setbacks, and landscape buffering.
Borough Council President Tressie Marroon-Bailey echoed those sentiments, stating that enacting the overlay district provides local officials with the legal authority to dictate where facilities can operate and under what terms. Municipal leaders also emphasized the potential long-term benefit of expanding the small borough's commercial tax base.
However, residents throughout southern Berks County voiced deep skepticism, arguing that the operational footprint of massive technological infrastructure cannot be contained within New Morgan’s borders. Public testimony outlined extensive worries regarding private wells, stream ecosystems, deforestation, stormwater management, local wildlife, traffic congestion, light and air pollution, noise, and rising regional electricity rates.
Agricultural stakeholders expressed particular alarm regarding the heavy water demands associated with data center cooling systems. Ed Weaver, president of Weaver’s Orchard in adjacent Robeson Township, testified that his multi-generational enterprise depends entirely on five irrigation wells that have already experienced severe groundwater depletion.
Weaver told council members that several of his farm's irrigation wells were originally artesian when first drilled, but water levels have since plunged by 30 to 40 feet over time. As the orchard prepares to transition from its third to fourth generation of family ownership, he urged borough leaders to avoid passing industrial land-use measures that could jeopardize established, legacy businesses in the surrounding valley.
Environmental advocates also warned of severe ecological risks to sensitive waterways. Anne-Marie McMahon, president of the Hay Creek Watershed Association, highlighted the overlay's direct proximity to the headwaters of Hay Creek, a 22-square-mile watershed featuring high-quality cold-water streams and segments officially recognized for their exceptional value.
McMahon cautioned that the limited environmental protections contained in the borough's ordinance could severely compromise both local water quantity and quality. The watershed association advocated that data center development should be restricted to previously developed commercial or industrial parcels rather than undisturbed woodlands, while urging the borough to mandate groundwater monitoring and require recycled or public water systems for facility cooling.
Regional planning compatibility was another central point of contention during the public comment period. Robeson Township resident Daniel Nugent compared the borough’s ordinance to guidelines published by the Berks County Planning Commission and other regional planning bodies, arguing that the enacted measure falls significantly short.
Nugent explained that while he does not hold a blanket opposition to all data center development, New Morgan’s regulations fail to sufficiently address critical factors such as low-frequency noise emissions, renewable energy usage, thermal heat dissipation, recycled water requirements, and property setbacks. He contended that council should have delayed final approval to solicit broader input from surrounding communities that will inevitably absorb the regional side effects.
State Rep. Mark Gillen also appeared before the council to urge caution, pointing to broad uncertainties surrounding electrical grid stability, water resources, and public transparency. During the second hearing, Gillen focused specifically on emergency response capabilities, noting that data center operations pose unique safety hazards.
Gillen reported that upon questioning the state fire commissioner regarding operational protocols for battling industrial data center blazes, he was informed that no specialized guidance has been distributed to local volunteer fire departments. He warned that the commonwealth remains unprepared to address the substantial public health and safety emergencies that could arise if a catastrophic incident occurs at such a facility.
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