Planning Commission provides input, Supervisors up next for data center plan
Salem Township Solicitor Anthony McDonald speaks at Thursday’s meeting.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Residents of Salem Township attend Thursday’s planning commission meeting, while another resident speaks at the podium.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Salem Township resident Bill Davenport addresses the planning commission on Thursday.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Andrea Prokoechak points to where her property is on the data center master plan.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
State Rep. Jamie Walsh holds up a copy of the Sunshine Act while objecting at the Salem Township Planning Commission meeting on Thursday.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
SALEM TWP. — Salem Township Planning Commission at Thursday’s meeting made a recommendation of conditional approval to the board of supervisors on a proposed master plan for a large-scale data center development, despite opposition from residents.
A road vacation petition and major lot consolidation proposal tied to the data center project were also given favorable recommendations.
Planning Commission member Randy Rinehimer was the only one to vote against the road vacation petition.
The matter will now go to the Salem Township Board of Supervisors, which will vote at an upcoming meeting on whether to grant conditional approval.
A public hearing in which the township will gather input on the closure of three roads — portions of Market Street and Moskaluk Road, as well as all of Kiliti Road — will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, at the Salem Township Administration Offices, 38 Bomboy Lane, Berwick.
Representatives of the data center project said the developer owns most of the land on either side of those roads and that the closures were necessary for the “configuration of the buildings.”
A new road would be built to provide an alternative. Officials from Salem Township fire and police departments previously said the new road would be sufficient for emergency services to access the facility.
The developer also stated they were willing to reimburse the township for any Liquid Fuels funding that might be lost due to the vacation of the roads.
As reported by the Times Leader, an initial master plan for the data center project, spearheaded by QTS, was previously approved by the Salem Township Supervisors.
Updated plans for the project were presented to the planning commission back in March. At that time, the commission chose to table a decision on the plans until Thursday’s meeting.
These updated plans reduce the project to 12 buildings from the original 18 proposed. It also includes design changes, with the addition of 100 acres.
QTS already paid a group of 96 landowners in Salem Township more than $500 million for approximately 1,700 acres. It is being called one of the largest coordinated land acquisitions for data center development in the country.
Public opposition
Many residents who attended the meeting seemed frustrated with the planning commission’s handling of the data center’s land development.
The commission voted on the master plan as well as the major lot consolidation before residents were invited to comment.
Butler Township resident Nate Eachus, a frequent attendee of meetings concerning data centers, and who was forcibly removed from the last Salem Township Planning Commission meeting, spoke out on a point of order, complaining that residents weren’t given the opportunity to speak on the two items.
“Silencing the community — great job,” Eachus said from his seat in the audience.
Salem Township Solicitor Anthony McDonald said Eachus was not able to speak because he was not a resident or taxpayer of Salem Township.
“Sir, there are many taxpayers here who would like to voice an opinion,” said Bill Davenport, promoting applause from the people in the audience.
Residents were then allowed to speak.
Jim Earlan of Bomboy Lane asked why the community needs another data center when so many are already being developed in the surrounding areas.
“How many do we need and why do we need ‘em?” he asked.
When he got up to the podium, Davenport said he felt that residents were not given enough say in “some of the things that are going on” in Salem Township.
“Don’t even try to use the argument that they offered to buy properties. Some of the offers were insulting,” he said.
Things got even more contentious when a resident made a lewd gesture at the commission’s solicitor and another resident, who identified herself as “Jackie,” said the solicitor and the planning commission “sold the whole [expletive] township out.”
Rep. Walsh questions policy
Additionally, State Rep. Jamie Walsh, who has come out in opposition to data center development, objected at the meeting, asking the commission whether the township had a policy limiting public comment to just taxpayers and residents.
“If you don’t have a policy on the books for your own municipality, it is not law. So, where is the policy that’s going to exclude people?” Walsh said.
McDonald said they did have a policy, and that it might not be on the website because they “are still building” it.
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