Covington Township Tioga County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
PART 6A
LIGHT INDUSTRIAL LI DISTRICT
§ 27-6A01 Principal Permitted Uses in a Light Industrial District.
[Ord. No. 2-2019, 11/13/2019]
1.
Industry.
2.
Warehouses.
3.
Facility for oil and gas staging.
4.
Other facility related to the oil and gas industry.
5.
Any principal use allowed in the C District.
6.
Oil and gas operations.
7.
Industrial/commercial equipment storage facility.
8.
Water impoundment areas.
9.
Natural gas compressor stations.
A.
Noise level cannot exceed 60 dbA at the nearest property line.
10.
Natural gas processing plant.
A.
Noise level cannot exceed 60 dbA at the nearest property line.
11.
Forestry (timber harvesting).
12.
Other uses which shall be similar in character as those listed above as shall be determined by the Township Board of Supervisors.
§ 27-6A02 Conditional Uses Permitted in a Light Industrial District.
[Ord. No. 2-2019, 11/13/2019; as amended by Ord. No. 1-2024, 8/12/2024; Ord. No. 1-2026, 4/13/2026]
1.
Junkyard.
2.
Bulk petroleum storage.
3.
Essential service installations.
4.
Cellular telecommunications facilities.
5.
Solid waste disposal and/or processing facilities.
6.
Primary waste handling facilities.
7.
Adult entertainment.
8.
Water dilution, water treatment and/or water processing facility.
9.
Medical marijuana dispensary.
10.
Principal solar energy system.
11.
Data centers, server farms, and cryptocurrency mining facilities, subject to § 27-6A04.
§ 27-6A03 Dimensional Standards.
[Ord. No. 2-2019, 11/13/2019]
1.
For principal permitted uses, refer to requirements and chart in Part 12 of this chapter for dimensional standards.
2.
Conditional use dimensional standards shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors in approving the conditional use.
§ 27-6A04 Conditional Use Standards for Data Centers, Server Farms, and Cryptocurrency Mining Facilities.
[Ord. No. 1-2026, 4/13/2026]
1.
Applicability.
A.
Permitted only as a conditional use in the Light Industrial (LI) District.
B.
Prohibited in all other zoning districts.
C.
A use meeting the definition of a data center, server farm, or cryptocurrency mining facility shall not be permitted under any other use classification.
2.
Maximum building height.
A.
No building shall exceed 65 feet in height, inclusive of rooftop equipment. exhaust systems, or mechanical structures.
3.
Minimum setbacks. All buildings, structures, generators. cooling equipment, substations, transformers, and mechanical equipment shall meet the following minimum setbacks:
A.
500 feet from any residential zoning district boundary.
B.
750 feet from any existing residential dwelling.
C.
1,000 feet from any school, daycare, nursing home, or place of worship.
D.
150 feet from any public road right-of-way.
E.
I 00 feet from all other lot lines.
4.
Noise.
A.
Continuous operational noise shall not exceed 50 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. and 40 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
B.
Measured at the nearest residential property line or sensitive use, whichever is closer.
C.
Compliance demonstrated by independent acoustical study al applicant's expense.
5.
Backup generators.
A.
Fully enclosed and sound-attenuated.
B.
Testing limited to weekdays between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., not exceeding one hour per month.
C.
Outdoor fuel storage prohibited within 300 feet of any lot line.
6.
Electrical Infrastructure and energy use.
A.
The applicant shall submit a report prepared by a licensed professional engineer documenting the anticipated electrical demand of the proposed facility, including peak electrical load and total projected consumption.
B.
The applicant shall demonstrate that adequate electrical infrastructure exists or will be provided to serve the facility without adversely affecting existing electrical service to surrounding properties, residents, or businesses.
C.
The Township may require documentation from the serving electric utility confirming system capacity and identifying any required upgrades.
D.
The Board of Supervisors may require that a portion of the facility's electrical demand be supplied or offset through on-site or dedicated generation or other infrastructure improvements necessary to avoid adverse impacts on the regional electrical grid.
E.
Any electrical infrastructure improvements required to serve the facility shall be completed at the sole expense of the applicant.
F.
The Board of Supervisors may require periodic reporting of electrical consumption as a condition of approval.
7.
Maximum electrical demand. The total electrical demand of any data center, server farm, or cryptocurrency mining facility shall not exceed 50 megawatts (MW) of peak electrical load unless otherwise approved by the Board of Supervisors as part of the conditional use approval. The applicant shall provide documentation prepared by a licensed professional engineer verifying the anticipated peak electrical demand of the facility.
8.
Cooling Systems and Water Use.
A.
Closed-loop cooling systems shall be required.
B.
The applicant shall disclose total anticipated water usage.
C.
The Board of Supervisors may require annual reporting of water consumption.
9.
Landscaping and buffering. Enhanced landscaping and buffering shall be required where the use abuts residential districts, existing residential dwellings, or sensitive uses.
10.
Emergency services.
A.
The applicant shall submit an emergency response and safety plan for review by the Township and local emergency service providers.
B.
The applicant shall coordinate with the local fire department regarding building access, fire suppression systems, water supply, and emergency response procedures.
C.
The facility shall include appropriate fire detection and suppression systems designed for electrical equipment and battery storage areas, consistent with applicable building and fire codes.
D.
Emergency vehicle access and adequate fire lanes shall be provided in accordance with applicable codes and standards.
11.
Expansion. Any increase in building area, electrical capacity, generator capacity, server density, or water usage requires new conditional use approval.
12.
Decommissioning and Financial Security.
A.
The applicant shall submit a detailed decommissioning and site restoration plan.
B.
The applicant shall post financial security equal to 100% of the estimated decommissioning cost.
C.
Security shall be in the form of a performance bond, irrevocable letter of credit, or parent company guarantee acceptable to the Township.
D.
The amount of financial security shall be reviewed and adjusted every five years.
13.
Conditions. The Board may impose additional reasonable conditions necessary to mitigate impacts.
14.
Compliance with federal and state regulations. All data centers, server farms, and cryptocurrency mining facilities shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and permitting requirements, including but not limited to environmental regulations, electrical infrastructure approvals, water use regulations, and public safety requirements.
