Throop Zoning / Code Enforcement / Floodplain Administration

08/11/2026

It's 811 Day!
Call before you dig!

08/04/2026

KNOW YOUR BOROUGH ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 3 of 2022 — Nuisance & Abandoned Vehicles

If you know of any vehicle that meets these nuisance parameters contact the Office of Zoning and Code Enforcement/ 570-489-8311 extension.

Visit Throopboro.com/ media/2026 for the entire ordinance details.

As part of our ongoing “Know Your Borough Ordinances” series, we want to remind residents about the Borough’s regulations concerning nuisance and abandoned vehicles.

Ordinance No. 3 of 2022 was adopted to help protect the health, safety and welfare of our community by regulating nuisance and abandoned motor vehicles on both public and private property.

Good neighbors. Clean properties. A better Throop.
Let’s take pride in our community!

08/04/2026

KNOW YOUR BOROUGH ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 3 of 2022 — Nuisance & Abandoned Vehicles

As part of our ongoing “Know Your Borough Ordinances” series, we want to remind residents about the Borough’s regulations concerning nuisance and abandoned vehicles.

Ordinance No. 3 of 2022 was adopted to help protect the health, safety and welfare of our community by regulating nuisance and abandoned motor vehicles on both public and private property.

A vehicle may constitute a nuisance when it lacks current license plates, registration or inspection, or when its condition creates a potential health or safety concern. Examples identified in the ordinance include broken glass or body parts, flat or missing tires, missing doors or windows, torn or open upholstery, leaking fluids, unstable supports and disassembled vehicle parts.

The ordinance also provides an enforcement process. When a violation is found, written notice is issued identifying the violation and requiring it to be removed or corrected within 10 days of the mailing or posting of the notice. Failure to comply can result in additional enforcement, including removal and impoundment where authorized by the ordinance.

Violations may result in a fine of up to $300 plus costs, together with vehicle removal and related expenses. Each day a violation continues after conviction constitutes a separate offense.

Don’t wait for a violation notice. If you have an inoperable, abandoned or deteriorated vehicle on your property, please take the necessary steps to bring it into compliance.

Taking care of our individual properties helps protect our neighborhoods and keeps Throop a clean, safe and attractive community.

Good neighbors. Clean properties. A better Throop.
Let’s take pride in our community!

07/31/2026

Thank you for the phone calls and conversations regarding the Data Center Overlay Amendment.

1. Throop did not "invite" data centers—it prepared for them.

"The first thing residents should know is that this ordinance doesn't approve a data center. It simply establishes clear rules in case an application is ever submitted. As of today, there are no applications pending."

The ordinance creates a Data Center Overlay District where data centers may be considered only as a Conditional Use and only on specifically mapped property.

2. It protects residents by limiting where a data center could locate.

"We intentionally limited the area where this use could even be considered and required a minimum 125-acre unified tract with large setbacks from surrounding properties."

The ordinance requires a 125-acre minimum Unified Tract and 500-foot exterior setbacks for principal and accessory structures.

3. It contains strict operational standards.

"This isn't just about where a building goes. It's about how it operates every day."

The ordinance includes requirements addressing:

noise,
lighting,
landscaping,
screening,
vibration,
emergency response,
water use,
generator operations, and
decommissioning.

4. Noise protection is one of the strongest features.

"We required professional noise studies before construction, after construction, and additional testing if complaints arise."

The ordinance requires predictive studies, post-construction compliance testing, and allows Borough verification where there are documented complaints or evidence of exceedances.

5. Water protection was a priority.

"We wanted to protect our local water resources."

The ordinance:

prohibits open-loop cooling systems,
requires closed-loop cooling technologies,
limits groundwater use for cooling,
requires water feasibility studies where applicable, and
requires annual reporting.

6. Emergency preparedness is built in.

"If a project were ever approved, emergency responders must be prepared before operations begin."

The ordinance requires:

an Emergency Response Plan,
coordination with the fire department and emergency management,
first responder training,
annual inspections, and
compliance with applicable fire safety standards for energy storage systems.

7. The ordinance requires the site to fit the community.

"We didn't want an industrial-looking facility dominating the landscape."

The ordinance includes:

a 100-foot landscaped buffer,
architectural design standards,
equipment screening,
lighting controls,
and restrictions on fencing.

8. If a facility ever closes, it cannot simply be abandoned.

"The ordinance requires financial security and a decommissioning plan so the property can be restored."

It requires a decommissioning plan, financial assurance, removal of equipment, and site restoration.

"The goal was simple: if this type of development ever comes to Throop, it should occur only under some of the most comprehensive local standards in Pennsylvania. The ordinance doesn't guarantee approval of any project—it establishes clear expectations to protect residents, ensure transparency, and provide Borough officials with objective standards for reviewing any future application."

Send a message to learn more

07/31/2026

Full time opportunity

Download our application at www.throopboro.com

DEADLINE TO APPLY 8/31/26

07/23/2026

July 23, 2026
PUBLIC MEETING GUIDELINES

1. Public participation (65 PA C.S.A. 710.1) – Council shall provide a reasonable opportunity at each advertised regular and special meeting to comment on matters of concern, official action or deliberation which are or may be before Council prior to taking official action.

2. Speakers will be asked to state their name and address for the meeting record. If representing an organization, they will be asked to name the organization.

3. It is Throop Council’s intent to provide a fair and equal opportunity to be heard. Speakers should make an effort to be concise and focused in their remarks.

4. Council President or the Solicitor has the discretion to limit or end a speaker’s comments if they become repetitive or stray from the current issue. In any event, a speaker’s ability to comment/ask questions will be limited to one (1) opportunity not to exceed five (5) minutes.

5. If, in the judgement of Council President or the Solicitor, the atmosphere has become unruly, or the comments/questions become repetitive, either will have the right to close public comment.

6. Council and members of the public are expected to conduct themselves with civility and to afford each other a measure of dignity and respect. Shouting, personal insults and any conduct that disrupts the meeting is considered to be out of order. At the discretion of Council President or the Solicitor, individuals or groups who are disruptive may be subject to removal from the venue by the Throop Police Department.

07/22/2026

July 23, 2026 Agenda for public hearing and special council meeting

07/20/2026

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/2026/07/20/midvalley-towns-to-hold-hearings-on-data-center-regulations-power-plants/

Thank you Frank Lesnefsky for taking the time to cover Throop Borough’s proposed Data Center Overlay Zoning Amendment. We sincerely appreciate the fair, balanced, and positive manner in which you presented such a complex issue to the public.

Your reporting helped explain not only what the ordinance does, but also the careful planning and considerable effort that went into developing it. Providing readers with clear and accurate information on important local issues is invaluable, and we appreciate your professionalism throughout the process.

Thank you again for your interest in our community and for helping keep the public informed.

In the waning days of its six-month pause on data centers, Throop will consider a comprehensive set of standards governing the controversial industry as the only Midvalley community that has yet to receive a proposal for a data center campus.

07/20/2026

We have received numerous phone calls today with questions and concerns regarding the Data Center-Overlay Amendment.

Here is a summary of what the proposed ordinance does to protect our residents and municipality as well as our neighboring communities.

Summary of the June 6, 2026 Proposed Throop Borough Data Center Ordinance

The proposed ordinance is intended to amend the Throop Borough Zoning Ordinance of 2021 by creating a Data Center Overlay (DC-O) District and establishing comprehensive standards governing the location, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of data centers within the Borough.

The ordinance was developed after Borough officials recognized that data centers represent a unique form of industrial development with potential impacts on surrounding communities. Rather than relying on existing zoning regulations that were not written with data centers in mind, the Borough undertook a proactive effort to create detailed standards before any applications were submitted.

Among its principal objectives, the ordinance:

Establishes a limited geographic overlay district where data centers may be considered, rather than permitting them throughout the Borough.

Requires approval through the conditional use process, ensuring public hearings and Borough Council review before any project could proceed.

Imposes extensive performance standards addressing noise, lighting, landscaping, setbacks, buffering, traffic, stormwater management, environmental protection, emergency preparedness, utility infrastructure, and site security.

Requires applicants to submit detailed engineering studies and technical documentation demonstrating compliance with Borough standards.

Provides the Borough with the ability to retain qualified professional consultants, at the applicant's expense where authorized by law, to independently review technical submissions.

Requires emergency response planning and coordination with local emergency service providers before a facility could become operational.

Establishes operational standards for backup power systems, site design, screening, and other features intended to minimize impacts on neighboring properties.

The overall purpose of the ordinance is to provide a clear regulatory framework that protects the health, safety, and welfare of Borough residents while ensuring that any future data center proposal is subject to comprehensive review under locally adopted standards.

Adoption of the ordinance would not approve the construction of any data center. Instead, it establishes the zoning regulations that would govern any future application, which would remain subject to the required review and approval process under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code and the Borough's zoning ordinance.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to call 570-489-8311 extension 9

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