Zoning Board Grants Air Products Data Center Appeal a Continuance Until 2026

Upper Macungie Township Deliberates on Land Use for Proposed Data Center
December 28, 2025

A pivotal zoning appeal concerning a potential data center development by industrial gas giant Air Products and Chemicals Inc. has been postponed, highlighting the regulatory challenges and evolving policies municipalities face as demand for digital infrastructure grows. The case underscores the complex interplay between existing industrial zoning, new technology uses, and local governance.

The Upper Macungie Township Zoning Hearing Board met on December 16 to consider an appeal filed by Air Products regarding its property at 7300 Cetronia Road, currently zoned Light Industrial (LI). The company is seeking an official interpretation of the township's zoning ordinance to allow the site to be used as a data center, a specific use not previously defined in the local code.

However, the proceedings entered a new context following a recent legislative action. On December 4, the township's Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance 2504, which formally defines data centers and explicitly prohibits them in all LI zoning districts across the municipality. Against this backdrop, Air Products' attorney, Blake Marles, requested a continuance, citing the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Marles explained that the company is still evaluating whether a data center is an appropriate use for the site in light of the new ordinance.

The township's legal counsel did not object to the delay but requested the matter be resolved by February 2026, noting the significance of the property and the township's ongoing comprehensive rewrite of its zoning ordinances. The five-member zoning board unanimously granted the continuance, rescheduling the hearing for 6:30 p.m. on February 25, 2026. The case will be re-advertised as a new hearing, and no testimony or public comment was taken during this session.

The delay allows Air Products, a Fortune 500 company with a major presence in the region, to reassess its plans. The outcome will serve as a significant test case for how the township balances its updated zoning framework with proposals for critical digital infrastructure from established industrial entities. The decision will likely influence future data center development applications in the region.

Source: lvpnews