Data Center Mtg. June 3rd, 2026 RE: Ordinance Updates
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The Board of Supervisors will meet on Wednesday, June 3rd at 6PM at JT Lambert Intermediate School (2000 Milford Rd, East Stroudsburg PA, 18301). Doors open at 5:30PM, and the meeting will occur in the auditorium. This meeting is scheduled to discuss ordinance updates related to the invoked curative amendment process for data centers, data center accessory uses, and disaster recovery facilities.
The Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 621, formally initiating the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) curative amendment process for the Township’s data center ordinance.Under Pennsylvania law, the Township has 180 days from May 6, 2026, to consider and adopt any amendments resulting from the curative amendment process. While that period extends until November 2, 2026, the practical timeline is shorter due to required advertising and review periods.
Over the coming months, the Board, staff, consultants, and planning agencies will continue reviewing potential ordinance revisions. Before any amendment can be adopted, the proposal must be reviewed by both the Smithfield Township Planning Commission and Monroe County Planning Commission and must be publicly advertised in accordance with the MPC.
The dates below illustrate the latest possible timeline if the Township were to use the full 180-day period:
May 6, 2026 – Resolution No. 621 adopted; cure period begins.
May – September 2026 – Ordinance review, research, and drafting.
October 1, 2026 – Latest practical date to authorize advertising and planning commission review.
October 2, 2026 – Latest practical date to submit the draft ordinance to the Township and County Planning Commissions.
October 2026 – Required public advertisements and planning commission review period.
November 2, 2026 – Final day to adopt ordinance amendments under the cure period.
Please Note: The dates above are provided only to illustrate the statutory timeline. No meetings have been scheduled for those specific dates. Information regarding future meetings and opportunities for public participation will be announced as the process continues.
All documents are available as PDFs to promote accessibility. If you would like Word versions of any document, or would like to submit feedback, comments, concerns, or join the mailing list for this ordinance development, please email Township Manager Julia Heilakka at julia@smithfieldtownship.com or attend a public meeting. All public hearings or meetings are streamed via YouTube and are accessible via Zoom. In-person attendance is also welcome.