Scope
Town of York Local Law No. 3 of 2026, "A Local Law Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers in the Town of York," provides that for twelve months after its effective date no application for a special permit, zoning variance, building permit, operating permit, site plan approval, subdivision plat approval, certificate of occupancy or other permit of any nature may be accepted, processed, approved or issued by the Town for the construction, establishment, use or operation of land or structures for a data center, and that pending applications without final discretionary approvals are stayed. Exceptions cover ordinary repair and like-kind replacement at existing data centers that does not expand them, accessory minor server rooms, emergency repairs and use variance applications. It applies town-wide, and the Town Board may extend it by local law for up to two further six-month periods.
- Geographic scope
- Town of York, New York
- Jurisdiction
- Local
- Authority type
- Local government
- Issuing authority
- York Town Board
Dates
- Adopted
- 14 July 2026
- Effective
- Effective status not verified
- Scheduled expiration
- See completion condition
- Ended
- Not recorded as ended
- Completion condition
- Section 4 of the local law runs the moratorium for twelve (12) months after its effective date; Section 7 lets the Town Board extend it by local law for up to two additional six-month periods or end it early by resolution. The effective day is not legible in the text read, so no end date is stored.
- Source document
- The source page states no document date
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
Summary
The York Town Board held a public hearing on proposed Local Law No. 3 of 2026 on 14 July 2026, and the New York local law filing form certifies that the board passed it on 14 July 2026. The local law imposes a temporary moratorium, for twelve months after its effective date, on accepting, processing, approving or issuing special permits, variances, building and operating permits, site plan and subdivision approvals, certificates of occupancy and other permits for data centers anywhere in the town, with limited exceptions for existing data centers, accessory server rooms, emergency repairs and use variances. It takes effect upon filing with the Secretary of State; the filing stamp date is not fully legible in the text read, so whether and when it took effect is not verified. It does not by itself order existing data centers to close.
What this does not establish
- The adoption date comes from the clerk's certification on the New York Department of State local law filing form. That form's text is partly garbled, and the Department of State filing stamp, which sets the effective day, reads as July 24 with an illegible year in the text read.
- The Town Board may extend the local law's moratorium by local law for up to two further six-month periods; no extension was read.
- Existing data centers with all required approvals may continue ordinary repair and maintenance within the stated limits; the local law does not by itself order any facility to close.
Unresolved questions
- When the Secretary of State filed Local Law No. 3 of 2026, which is when it takes effect, and therefore when the twelve-month term ends.
Relationships
Supersession means a later instrument replaces the earlier legal effect. Repeal links identify the repeal instrument and the measure it ends. A later implementation or related letter is not treated as a replacement unless the record says so.
- No related action is recorded.
Sources
Primary source: York Town Board page on yorkny.gov
- Minutes of the 14 July 2026 public hearing on proposed Local Law No. 3 of 2026 — Hearing minutes that reproduce the proposed local law text · 14 July 2026