Data Centers & Crypto Mining in Allentown, PA (2026)
3 verified data centers & crypto mining rules for Allentown, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Data Center Zoning & Siting
New data centers in Allentown must clear a stack of zoning setbacks before locating: 75 feet from any public street, 200 feet from residential, civic, or child care uses and from MX-N, GX-N, or N-zoned lots, and 50 feet from every other lot line, plus a 25-foot landscaped perimeter buffer and a five- to eight-acre minimum lot for larger facilities under § 660-38.H(2).
Allentown Data Center Setback and Lot Size Rules
Significant RestrictionsCity of Allentown Zoning Ordinance § 660-38.H(2)(a)-(b) (Ord. No. 16166, adopted Oct. 15, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026)
(2) Supplemental use regulations. Data center uses are subject to the following supplemental use regulations: (a) No new data center use or accessory data center use may be located within: [1] 75 feet of the right-of-way of a public street; [2] 200 feet of the lot line of any: [a] Use within the Residential use group: [b] Use within the Civic and Institutional use group (except cemetery, govern...
Data Center Noise Limits
Before a data center can open in Allentown, § 660-38.H(2)(g) requires a certified acoustics engineer to produce a sound study proving the facility will meet Chapter 400's noise limits, including any persistent low-frequency hum, plus a separate vibration study showing no vibration will be perceptible beyond the property line. A follow-up as-built sound study is due six months after occupancy.
Allentown Data Centers Must Complete Sound Studies
Significant RestrictionsCity of Allentown Zoning Ordinance § 660-38.H(2)(g) (Ord. No. 16166, adopted Oct. 15, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026)
(g) Noise and vibration. [1] A sound study shall be produced by a licensed professional engineer specializing in acoustics or an engineer Board Certified by the Institute of Noise Control Engineers to demonstrate that the data center and data center accessory uses will conform with the requirements of Chapter 400, Noise. Sound study should also assess any persistent tonal sounds (hums) or other...
Crypto Mining Rules
Allentown's zoning code folds cryptocurrency mining and blockchain processing directly into the "data center" use category under § 660-38.H, so a mining operation is regulated exactly like any other data center: subject to strict setbacks, mandatory environmental and noise studies, and Zoning Hearing Board conditions before it can open in an IG or IM industrial zone.
Allentown Zones Crypto Mining as Data Center Use
Significant RestrictionsCity of Allentown Zoning Ordinance § 660-38.H(1) (Ord. No. 16166, adopted Oct. 15, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026)
H. Data center use. (1) Use category description. The data center use category includes a building, buildings, or structures which are occupied primarily by computers and/or telecommunications and related equipment where digital information is processed, transferred and/or stored, primarily to and from offsite locations. This use does not include computers or telecommunications related equipmen...
Looking for Lehigh County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Allentown city rules.
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