West Manchester Township
City Zoning Code

Front yard setback for principal buildings and structures: 75 feet.

Side yard setback for principal buildings and structures: 50 feet.

Rear yard setback for principal buildings and structures: 50 feet.

The required minimum setbacks for principal buildings and structures along the common boundary of abutting lands within a residential zone under the Zoning Ordinance shall be increased to 150 feet. Included within the 150-foot setback shall be a minimum 50-foot wide buffer area with screening, as described in Subsection H below.

The required minimum setbacks for any data center accessory buildings or structures or other accessory buildings or structures shall be 50 feet.

The foregoing required minimum setbacks shall not apply to the internal unit (lot) lines of any planned community or condominium developed in whole or in part as a data center. Instead, applicable building separation requirements under the Building Code shall apply.

Principal buildings or structures: 95 feet. No mechanical or accessory equipment mounted on the roof shall exceed 10 feet in height from the top edge of the roof and shall be screened.

Accessory buildings or structures: 80 feet.

Building Height for principal buildings can be increased from 95 feet to up to 110 feet with an additional one foot of height allowed for each additional two feet of required minimum setback.

A visual screen in accordance with § 150-278 shall be provided along any abutting lands within a residential zone under the Zoning Ordinance, except that the earthen berm required by § 150-278.A shall be increased to a minimum of four feet to six feet in height along such areas.

Notwithstanding the height limitations of any other section of this article, a visual screen shall be designed and provided in accordance with § 150-278 or a solid wall or fence having a minimum height of 10 feet shall be installed around the exterior of the data center development. In addition, a minimum 12-foot screen shall be provided along ground electrical components of data center accessory uses that produce noise, including but not limited to ground-mounted cooling system components such as fans, blowers, water or other liquid cooling pumps, and similar systems and components, power supply systems such as electrical sub-stations, transformers, fuel cells, generators, and similar systems and components.

A parapet or other similar visual screen shall be provided to screen roof mounted components and be provided on all sides of the building, except for any side that faces another data center building.

This provision shall not be applicable to the internal unit (lot) lines of any planned community or condominium developed in whole or in part as a data center. Screening shall not be required along any internal unit (lot) lines of any planned community or condominium.

Lighting shall comply with § 150-233.

A photometric plan shall be provided to demonstrate that exterior lighting does not produce more than 0.1 footcandles at any abutting lot line of a residential zoning district in existence at the adoption of this article.

Exterior lighting shall not be mounted higher than 38 feet on a standard, other freestanding support, or the exterior of a structure from the lowest adjacent grade and shall be fully shielded or cutoff so as to direct light at a downward angle and towards the interior of the lot and not equal to or higher than the horizontal plane of the bulb, bulb enclosure, or light shielding.

The above lighting provisions shall not be applicable to the internal unit (lot) lines of any planned community or condominium developed in whole or in part as a data center.

A sound study shall be provided during land development plan review that estimates current sound levels and establishes anticipated and acceptable post-construction sound levels at the time of operation along all property lines. The sound study need not consider lot lines shared with properties zoned for or developed with a data center or a data center accessory use.

After considering the sound study, land development plan approval by the Township Board of Supervisors constitutes a noise waiver, in accordance with § 80-5J of Chapter 80 (Noise) of the Township's Code of Ordinances, such that any sounds or noises emanating from the approved data center(s) or data center accessory uses are exempt insofar as such sounds are noises are consistent with the anticipated sound levels as provided in the sound study. The Township shall be permitted to enforce the approved sound levels as provided in the sound study and issue notices of zoning violations where evidence establishes that sound emanating from a data center development, including data center accessory uses, exceeds the levels approved by the Township Board of Supervisors under the sound study.

Temporary power supply systems, in place for a period of no more than 24 months; testing of auxiliary or emergency power systems, including generators between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM; and the use of such auxiliary or emergency power systems, including generators, during an emergency or primary power system failure are exempt from the noise regulations of this Zoning Ordinance and Chapter 80 (Noise) of the Township's Code of Ordinances.

Two points of access shall be provided. The secondary point of access may be an emergency access route with a gate secured with a "Knox-box" or other system.

All security fencing shall be a maximum of 10 feet to the highest point of the fencing or any appendages.

Lots within the DCO shall not be required to have frontage along a public street if access to a public street is provided via private streets or drives through other lots within the DCO.

Every access point shall provide a vehicle rejection area located outside of the security fence.

The diameter of a turnaround at the terminus of a cul-de-sac shall be at least 96 feet.

A minimum of one fire lane intended for aerial apparatus access to roof structures shall be provided at a minimum of 26 feet wide, clearly identified with ground markings and signs, shall not have any overhead obstructions and be not less than 15 feet and not greater than 30 feet from the structure and be on the same side of the structure as the access road.

Off-street parking spaces shall be provided in accordance with Article XXIV, except that the required number of spaces for data centers shall be 1.5 spaces per on-site employee on the largest shift.

Off-street loading spaces shall be provided in accordance with Article XXV, except that the number of required loading spaces for data centers shall be one space per 160,000 square feet of gross floor area.

Applicant shall provide proof of review and approval from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) for all projects that have ground and/or surface water consumption of 20,000 gpd or more and shall supply a raw water needs analysis showing required quantities from any private or public source.

Any cooling system use where water is taken directly from a riverine water source shall be designed and installed in accordance with all Federal and State regulatory and permitting requirements and the area and components be secured from access by fencing of at least six feet in height.

The site must be serviced by both public water and public sewer.

Any emissions of exhaust, gases, noxious odor or similar shall adhere to applicable State and Federal emission standards.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter, the foregoing criteria shall not be applicable to the internal unit (lot) lines of any planned community or condominium developed in whole or in part as a data center.