East Vincent planners reject data center plan again

The East Vincent Township Planning Commission unanimously voted against recommending approval of a proposed data center at the former Pennhurst hospital site for the second consecutive month. Developer Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC did not attend the meeting, which planning commission members, including Nicole Keegan, deemed inappropriate given the project's magnitude. The revised plan, submitted after the initial rejection, increased the project's footprint from 1.3 million to 1.9 million square feet across three buildings and now includes a natural gas-powered plant to meet electrical requirements. However, commission members, including Chairwoman Rachael Griffith, noted that the revised plan eliminated a required office building, violating "mixed use" zoning requirements, and that the IMU zoning district does not permit power stations. Additionally, the proposed buildings significantly exceed the maximum allowed size of 45,000 square feet, with individual buildings up to 415,200 square feet. Commission members Lawson Macartney, Elaine Milito, and Michelle Adams highlighted numerous deficiencies, including a lack of details on topography, noise, emissions, vibrations, water usage, and overall power consumption. They also noted that a stream on the property was missing from the project map and no "water budget analysis" was provided. Commission member Curt Schryer suggested the revised plan should be treated as an entirely new proposal due to substantial changes. Local residents and advocates, including Christine McNeil of East Vincent Advocacy, former supervisor Larry Shenk, and State Sen. Katie Muth, expressed strong opposition, citing concerns about a power generation plant near homes, the project's impact on historic Pennhurst buildings, and the developer's marketing tactics. The project now moves to conditional use hearings before the township supervisors, with the first hearing scheduled for April 20.