Archbald council unanimously denies zoning for hyperscale data center campus in borough
Archbald Borough Council unanimously denied Cornell Realty Management’s zoning request for the proposed 14-building Wildcat Ridge hyperscale data center campus on 578 acres. Residents and opposition organizers celebrated the decision, although the developer may appeal.
Archbald Borough Council unanimously rejected Cornell Realty Management’s conditional-use zoning application for the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus, a 14-building hyperscale facility on 578 acres. The project would include 588 diesel-powered backup generators and had been reviewed through nine public hearings held from January through September.
Attorney Edmund Campbell argued that Cornell had met the borough’s zoning standards, while residents and opposition experts raised concerns about emissions, public-health impacts, traffic, noise and the evidence supporting the application. About 200 people attended the meeting, and members of the Stop Archbald Data Centers group celebrated the denial. Council members declined to comment because of potential litigation, and community members said they expected Cornell could appeal.