The New Morgan Borough Council has unanimously approved significant zoning modifications that pave the way for future data center construction along the Route 10 corridor, moving forward with the plan in the face of intense resistance from more than 200 local and regional residents. The contentious vote followed two consecutive public hearings that drew heavy crowds to the municipal building, underscoring the deep rift between local officials and the broader southern Berks County community over industrial land use.
Under the newly adopted measures, a designated parcel located at the intersection of Route 10 and Furnace Road will be formally rezoned from R-Residential to I-Industrial. In addition to the zoning map alteration, the council enacted a specialized data center overlay district for the property, which is situated directly opposite the entrance to the landmark Historic Joanna Furnace site.
The public hearings generated an unprecedented turnout that completely overwhelmed New Morgan Borough Hall at 200 Bethlehem Drive. The municipal conference room, equipped with only about a dozen chairs for audience members, quickly reached maximum capacity. As a result, scores of attendees were forced to pack the building's hallways and lobby, with dozens more spilling out past the front entrance and into the exterior parking lot. Multiple attendees voiced frustration that the borough had not relocated the meeting to a venue capable of accommodating the crowd, noting that many people outside could barely hear the official discussions.
The massive attendance presented a stark numerical contrast to the host municipality itself. According to the 2020 census, the borough of New Morgan recorded a total population of just 54 residents. The vast majority of the community members who gathered to testify and observe the proceedings traveled from adjacent municipalities, predominantly Robeson and Caernarvon townships, arguing that an industrial facility of this scale would trigger cross-border consequences.
Borough Solicitor Nicole Plank presided over the back-to-back legislative hearings, guiding the council through an initial session on the zoning map amendment and a subsequent session on the regulatory framework governing data centers. Following public testimony in each segment, council members cast unanimous votes to adopt the respective ordinances.
Throughout the evening, Plank sought to alleviate public apprehension by repeatedly clarifying that no formal developer application for a data center has been submitted to New Morgan. She framed the council's legislative actions as a proactive strategy designed to establish strict parameters regarding noise levels, electric usage, water resources, structural setbacks, and vegetative buffering before any commercial entity attempts to build in the area.
Borough Council President Tressie Marroon-Bailey echoed this reasoning, maintaining that establishing a dedicated overlay district gives local leaders essential oversight. Marroon-Bailey noted that the zoning provisions allow the borough to dictate precisely where a facility may be constructed and under what operational guidelines, while simultaneously providing a valuable opportunity to broaden New Morgan’s commercial tax base.
Despite municipal assurances, neighboring residents and regional stakeholders expressed alarm over the broader environmental and financial footprint of data center infrastructure. Testimonies raised during the hearings highlighted a wide range of potential problems, including the depletion of private water wells, degradation of groundwater and nearby streams, extensive deforestation, unmanaged stormwater runoff, loss of wildlife habitats, increased commercial traffic, air and light pollution, elevated regional electricity bills, pervasive operational noise, and the permanent disruption of the rural character defining southern Berks County.
Agricultural community leaders expressed specific apprehension regarding the immense water consumption typical of data cooling operations. Ed Weaver, president of Weaver’s Orchard in neighboring Robeson Township, testified that his multi-generational enterprise depends entirely on five on-site irrigation wells. Weaver explained that local groundwater reserves have already experienced significant declines over the decades, noting that wells that initially flowed under artesian pressure have since dropped by 30 to 40 feet. Pointing out that the orchard is currently transitioning from its third to fourth generation of family ownership, Weaver implored borough leaders not to pass measures that could jeopardize longstanding local businesses.
Ecological advocates also raised critical questions regarding the vulnerability of nearby waterways. Anne-Marie McMahon, president of the Hay Creek Watershed Association, focused her remarks on the zoning district's direct proximity to the headwaters of Hay Creek. McMahon explained that the 22-square-mile watershed features a cold-water stream of exceptional quality, with certain segments formally categorized as having exceptional value. She warned that the limited safeguards contained within the new ordinance could severely harm regional water quality and overall volume.
To mitigate environmental degradation, the Hay Creek Watershed Association urged officials to restrict data center development to previously industrialized or commercial brownfield sites rather than clearing pristine, wooded acreage. McMahon further advocated for mandatory long-term groundwater monitoring protocols and strict regulatory mandates requiring prospective facilities to utilize public water supplies or closed-loop reclaimed and recycled water for their cooling systems.
Planning critiques were similarly brought forward by Daniel Nugent of Robeson Township, who reviewed the borough's legislation against regional standards, including recommendations from the Berks County Planning Commission. Nugent clarified that his stance was not an absolute rejection of data center technology, but argued that New Morgan’s ordinance fell short in several key areas. Specifically, he pointed to inadequate rules concerning property line setbacks, low-frequency acoustic mitigation, thermal heat emissions, renewable power usage, recycled water requirements, and regional spillover effects, while requesting broader inter-municipal collaboration.
State Rep. Mark Gillen also appeared before the council to urge caution, raising questions regarding utility capacity, transparency, and public safety. Gillen shared findings from his recent inquiry with Pennsylvania’s state fire commissioner, revealing that specialized protocols for managing complex industrial fires at data center facilities have not yet been distributed to local volunteer fire companies. Gillen cautioned that the commonwealth remains unprepared to handle high-level public safety and health emergencies at such facilities, emphasizing that comprehensive safety measures must precede industrial zoning approvals.
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