The former McGinness property does not appear on the map of potentially suitable locations for data center development due to its distance from suitable power lines.
JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY
Who knew what and when?
The Lancaster County Planning Commission met on May 11, 2026, with a featured presentation titled "Data Center Planning Guide Update." The presentation, reflected in the Lancaster County Planning Department's newly updated guide, "A Planning Guide Pertaining to Data Centers in Lancaster County, PA," outlines how municipalities across the county should approach zoning, infrastructure, and community impact as data center proposals increase.
During the discussion, Heather Zink, Columbia Borough Council vice president and a member of the commission, said that borough officials were working with a developer. Speaking at about the 19-minute mark of the recording, Zink said: "We're working with the developer," a reference to the former McGinness airport parcel. At that time, no bids had been submitted to the borough, and the eventual bidder's identity wasn't publicly known.
The McGinness parcel: Not on the mapThe former McGinness airport property was conspicuously absent from the county's data center map presented at the meeting and in the planning guide. A county official explained that the parcel is not located along electric transmission lines and is considered too far from adequate electrical infrastructure.
However, a West Hempfield parcel abutting Malleable Road, which does appear on the county map, was noted as being near transmission lines, a key factor in data center site selection.
A timeline of events
August 26, 2025 — Columbia Borough passed amended zoning permitting data centers in specific locations.
April 8, 2026 — A pre-bid meeting was held for the McGinness parcel. Realtor Deepa Balepur, listed as a representative of Compass Realty, was present as were borough officials and a few members of the public.
April 29, 2026 — Columbia Borough Manager/Police Chief and Borough Engineer Derek Rinaldo visited the former McGinness site along with others, discussing the property.
May 11, 2026 — The Lancaster County Planning Commission meeting and data center presentation took place, during which Zink referenced the borough's engagement with the developer.
May 15, 2026 — A bid for the McGinness property was submitted.
May 18, 2026 — The bid was opened at Borough Hall. The sole bid was from Saadia Holding LLC.
What the Planning Guide Says
The planning guide, updated in May 2026, provides municipalities with a framework for evaluating and regulating data center proposals. It covers frequently asked questions on energy consumption, water usage, noise, and community character, as well as suggested best practices for zoning ordinances.
The guide repeatedly cites Lancaster City's proposed "Lancaster AI Hub" — the planned reuse of two former industrial sites — as a model for data center development. Lancaster City, notably, is also described as one of the document's primary audiences and a project stakeholder.
The document acknowledges significant community concerns. Among its findings: a one-million-square-foot data center facility may generate as few as 30 permanent jobs.
An independent AI analysis of the guide found it leans toward accommodation over restriction. The framing of community concerns is largely procedural — focused on how to manage data centers rather than whether to permit them. Alternative voices, including residents, farmers, or environmental advocates skeptical of large-scale data center development, are not represented or quoted.
The document reads as a planning facilitation guide rather than a neutral impact analysis, the assessment concluded. "It assumes data centers are coming and focuses on managing them — a reasonable planning stance, but one that embeds a bias toward accommodation."
Power demands
The planning guide paints a detailed picture of data centers' energy demands on the regional grid. As of April 2026, PPL, Lancaster County's sole electricity supplier, reported 10 gigawatts of data center load already under supply agreements, with signed agreements for an additional 15 gigawatts. Current peak demand for the entire county is just 7.5 gigawatts — a figure that took more than a century to reach.
Effects on costs
In PJM's 2025/2026 capacity auction, electricity prices surged from roughly $29 per megawatt-day to nearly $270 — a tenfold increase — adding $14.7 billion in costs compared to the prior year. An independent grid watchdog found that 70% of last year's electricity cost increases were driven by data center energy demand and has translated to a 10–20% increase in most recent consumer electric bills
This context lends additional weight to the county's infrastructure-based exclusion of the McGinness site from its suitability map. Without proximity to transmission lines and substation capacity, a data center at the former airport would face substantial hurdles. Power sources that could be used include microgrids, BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) and solar energy, fuel cells, and small modular nuclear reactors.
What Comes Next
Columbia Borough Council is scheduled to vote on the bid proposal at its May 26, 2026 meeting at the Columbia Borough Fire Hall.
The Lancaster County Planning Commission's updated guide is available at the Lancaster County Planning Department's website
HERE. The May 11 meeting recording is available via Vimeo
HERE, with the data center presentation beginning at the 11:50 mark.
[Sources: Lancaster County Planning Commission meeting recording (May 11, 2026); LCPD Planning Guide Pertaining to Data Centers in Lancaster County, PA (May 2026 Update); Columbia Borough public records.]
