Data center battle in Archbald continues after months of frustration and fierce opposition

Residents of Archbald, Pennsylvania, continue to fiercely oppose the proposed Wildcat Ridge data center, voicing their frustrations at a recent conditional use hearing. The meeting was dominated by angry residents, many of whom returned promotional mailers sent by the data center's developers. Mary Therese McKane, an Archbald resident, cited personal experiences with cancer among her neighbors, expressing fears that the data center would introduce additional carcinogens to the area. Concerns were also raised regarding the data center's potential impact on local traffic, particularly on Wildcat Road, which residents describe as already dangerous. Former and current county officials, including Lackawanna County Controller Gary DiBileo, urged the borough council to consider allowing residents to vote on the project via a ballot initiative. Former Judge Thomas Munley called for either a multi-year moratorium on data center development or a public vote, threatening the developers to "pack your bags, get out of this place and don't come back!" if these demands were not met. The developers maintain that the traffic impact would be "negligible," but this was met with disagreement from the community.