Special public meeting set for Thursday
An attendee of Monday’s meeting wears a shirt that says, ‘No data centers.’
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Bear Creek Township Supervisor Mark Petlock says he will not consider Ordinance 1 of 2026 at an upcoming special meeting on Sept. 3.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
At least 200 people filled the seats of the Bear Creek Community Charter School gym on Monday for a public hearing before the board of supervisors.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Michael Kronk, who lives on Bear Creek Boulevard, speaks at Monday’s public hearing in Bear Creek Township.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Austin Winn, who lives on Bear Creek Boulevard, speaks before the Bear Creek Township Board of Supervisors on Monday.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Dave Blazejewski, president of the Bear Creek Community Charter School Board of Trustees (center), speaks in front of hundreds of residents during Monday’s public hearing.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
BEAR CREEK TWP. — Before a crowd of at least 200 people during a public hearing on Monday, every member of the Bear Creek Township Board of Supervisors stated they will not support the first version of an ordinance to expand the industrial district into the residential area to accommodate future data center proposals.
Each member of the board, which is comprised of Robert Suchocki, Mark Petlock, John Ondich, George Weitz, and Ryan O’Hara, took time before receiving public comment on draft 1 of Ordinance 1 of 2026, and said they will not consider that version and the accompanying map at a special public meeting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3 at the Bear Creek Township Volunteer Company.
The amendment also includes regulations for data centers.
Also up for a vote at the Sept. 3 meeting will be Ordinance 2 of 2026, which would establish a Natural Resource Protection Overlay that applies to all zoning districts in the township.
“It identifies and protects environmentally sensitive lands, including floodplains, steep slopes, wetlands, watercourses, woodlands, prime agricultural soils, and hydric soils. The overlay establishes site capacity calculations, grading and erosion controls, stormwater management requirements, tree protection standards, and environmental hazard restrictions,” according to the Bear Creek Township website.
Two alternative versions of the industrial expansion, Ordinance 3 and Ordinance 4 of 2026, will be discussed at a public hearing on Sept. 30.
The Industrial District in Bear Creek Township encompasses 66 acres. The township was told previously that this amount of land could be considered exclusionary and potentially challenged by developers in courts, which led to the board’s consideration of rezoning.
The crowd at Monday’s meeting was dotted with yellow, as many attendees with the group Bear Creek Protectors wore T-shirts that said, “Keep NEPA Wild,” accompanied by “data centers” encircled with a slash through it.
Attendees applauded when the supervisors stated their intent not to consider Ordinance 1 at the Sept. 3 meeting.
Of note, Michael Kronk, who lives on Bear Creek Boulevard, thanked the board for protecting his home and not supporting the first version of the expansion map, which would have rezoned his property from residential to industrial.
“These aren’t just parcels on a map. This is the place that they call home,” he said.
Even though the supervisors said they would not consider the first version of the expansion map, many residents opposed expanding the industrial zone at all.
Rebecca Merchant, of Foxwood Road, said the population in the township has not substantially increased in the last few decades, nor has there been an increased industrial demand.
“Therefore, there is no demonstrated need or indication to expand the township’s 66-acre industrial zone. There is no legally mandated percentage of land within the township that must be designated for industrial use,” she said.
Other attendees who spoke during public comment expressed opposition to data center development in general.
To be clear, there are no data center proposals for Bear Creek Township.
Austin Winn, also a resident of Bear Creek Boulevard, said he and his wife are planning to build a home on their property, but are struggling with investing money in an area that may become more industrialized.
“Why would we invest money in a township that wants to put up data centers and suck all our resources up?” he asked the board.
Potential loss of green space was also a concern for Winn.
“We all live here because of the nature and the beautifulness of the woods. Why do we wanna go turn it into a downtown industrial park town?” he said.
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