AI Data center concerns in Armstrong County
South Bend Township Supervisors have enacted a moratorium on development to deter an AI data center, as the township currently lacks zoning ordinances. Residents have voiced concerns over noise, water usage, electricity, and environmental impact, with nearly 200 signing a petition against the development. The supervisors are meeting to finalize the moratorium and begin the lengthy process of establishing zoning.
The South Bend Township Supervisors have decided to place a moratorium on development within the municipality, specifically to deter an AI data center from establishing operations. This decision was made because, unlike larger municipalities in Western Pennsylvania that have amended zoning ordinances to manage data center developments, South Bend Township currently has no zoning regulations.
The proposed site for the data center is a parcel owned by SYNNEX GAS, which is reportedly for sale to an AI data center developer from Florida. The land is currently leased hunting property with no existing infrastructure. Concerns among the nearly 960 residents of South Bend Township are high, with almost 200 having signed a petition against the development, citing issues related to noise, water usage, electricity consumption, and potential negative health and environmental effects. Residents expressed that they moved to the area to escape city life and fear the data center would bring urban problems to their rural community.
Supervisors recently met with local planning specialists from Harrisburg to determine a strategy. Establishing comprehensive zoning, a zoning board, and a planning commission could take years. Therefore, they opted for an immediate moratorium to prevent any land sales for data center development in the interim. Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Garrity has also initiated a petition, which South Bend residents are signing, advocating for a halt to all new development until environmental impacts are thoroughly understood.
The supervisors plan to meet with their solicitor shortly to finalize the specifics of the moratorium and outline future zoning plans for the township.