Plymouth Township’s council released a statement on June 9th regarding the proposed data center at 900 Conshohocken Road in Conshohocken (Plymouth Township). The proposal will have its application before the township’s zoning hearing board on June 25th. Developer Brian O’Neill is seeking a special exception to allow the proposal to go forward.
Before we get into the council’s statement, we want to share some questions MoreThanTheCurve.com submitted to the council on June 4th that have not been answered.
The first question was, “Has the township started working on a data center ordinance? If not, why?”
We asked this question because Pennsylvania state law prohibits municipalities from banning any type of legal property use. The state and county have recommended that municipalities adopt ordinances that allow data centers by conditional use in areas zoned for heavy industry. Plymouth Township has not taken this step.
Please note that any ordinance adopted would not impact applications already submitted. However, the heavy industrial zoning district is larger than the former steel plant, and there could be more proposals for other properties. Nearby, Upper Merion and West Conshohocken have adopted such an ordinance. Norristown is in the process of drafting and considering one. Why isn’t Plymouth working on this? No answer.
The second question was, “Montgomery County has listed for sale the former quarry along Conshohocken Road. We [MoreThanTheCurve.com] have confirmed that at least one data center developer has put in a bid for the property. Does the township have an interest in this property?”
This question was spurred by Montgomery County listing for sale 42 acres within the township’s heavy industry district. As MoreThanTheCurve.com pointed out, Montgomery County has recommended that just such a property is the appropriate place (as a conditional use) within a municipality for a data center.
Would Plymouth Township buy the property to control its future? No answer.
The third question was, “Does the township wish the county had waited to list the property until a data center ordinance had been considered?”
When MoreThanTheCurve.com asked Montgomery County about the potential use of the property by the eventual purchaser, a county spokesperson offered, “Any future use will be dependent on current zoning and Plymouth Township.” As MoreThanTheCurve.com has pointed out, Plymouth Township does not have any data-center-specific zoning regulations in place.
Proposed data centers are a contentious political topic. Just imagine the uproar if the property is sold to a data center developer. MoreThanTheCurve.com asked this question of the council because we were curious whether there was an effort to delay the sale of the property until the township implemented zoning to address concerns about data centers. No answer.
Plymouth Township Council’s Statement
The statement issued by the council announces its current opposition to the special exception application before the zoning hearing board. However, the statement also offers O’Neill an olive branch in stating, “Council believes that a project of this scale and intensity should not proceed without meaningful and enforceable protections addressing potential impacts on nearby neighborhoods, public infrastructure, environmental resources, emergency services, and Township taxpayers.”
In Upper Merion, where O’Neill has five data center applications going through the land development process, the developer agreed to abide by some of the more stringent regulations in the adopted ordinance that came after the applications were submitted. The land development applications are not yet approved.
The full text of the statement from Plymouth Township’s council:
After reviewing the Special Exception application for the proposed data center at 900 Conshohocken Road, Plymouth Township Council has determined that the application, as currently submitted, does not adequately address a number of significant concerns related to the health, safety, and welfare of Township residents.
Accordingly, Council has authorized the Township Solicitor to appear before the Zoning Hearing Board and oppose the application at the public hearing scheduled for June 25, 2026.
Council’s decision reflects its assessment of the proposal in its current form and should not be interpreted as opposition to redevelopment of the site generally. Council supports responsible investment and redevelopment of this long-standing industrial property, provided that such development is compatible with the surrounding community and incorporates appropriate safeguards.
Council also recognizes that the property is located in the Township’s Heavy Industrial zoning district and respects the applicant’s right to seek approval through the Special Exception process. The Zoning Hearing Board remains the independent body responsible for evaluating the application under the standards established by the Township Zoning Ordinance.
However, Council believes that a project of this scale and intensity should not proceed without meaningful and enforceable protections addressing potential impacts on nearby neighborhoods, public infrastructure, environmental resources, emergency services, and Township taxpayers.
While Council currently opposes the application, Council may reconsider its position if the applicant agrees to a binding and enforceable framework that adequately addresses concerns.
Council believes protections are reasonable and necessary for a project of this magnitude. Unless and until sufficient safeguards are incorporated into an enforceable agreement acceptable to the Township, Council intends to continue its opposition to the application before the Zoning Hearing Board.
Council’s willingness to consider withdrawing its opposition should not be interpreted as support for the application in its current form, nor as a commitment to support any future proposal. Rather, Council believes that any redevelopment of the site must be accompanied by enforceable measures that adequately protect Township residents, public infrastructure, natural resources, emergency services, and the community’s long-term quality of life.
Council encourages all interested residents to review the application materials, attend the public hearing, and participate in the process. The hearing is scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Colonial Middle School.
Plymouth Township Council remains committed to ensuring that any redevelopment of this property proceeds in a manner that protects Township residents while supporting responsible economic development and long-term community interests.
MoreThanTheCurve.com asked No Conshy Data Centers, the group opposing the application at the former steel plant, and O’Neill to comment on Plymouth Township Council’s statement. We did not receive a response back from O’Neill and received the following from No Conshy Data Centers:
The community group opposing the data center is grateful the Township will join them on June 25 in taking a closer look at this data center application. We are appreciative that Township Council received and listened to constituent concerns. We hope that this commitment to advocating for proper safeguards on this site will extend beyond the ZHB [zoning hearing board] and to the appeals process, if necessary.
A special thanks is also needed for Matt West, our Township Manager, for handling constituent outreach and coordinating the logistics for the ZHB [zoning hearing board] with what we believe will be a large crowd. Other townships have not done as well in responding to the demand of these meetings, cutting public comment short or not planning for the proper capacity. From what we’ve seen, Plymouth is properly planning for what should be a very busy hearing.
Look for more coverage of this issue leading up to the June 25th zoning hearing.