Opponents sound off on Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus noise projections

ARCHBALD, PA Over 400 community members attended Archbald's fourth conditional use hearing concerning the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus, a project by Brooklyn-based Cornell Realty Management LLC. The contentious hearing, held at Valley View High School, focused primarily on noise projections for the planned 14-building facility, which would include 840 rooftop chillers and 588 emergency diesel generators across 574.2 acres. Cornell Realty's acoustical consultant, Caitlin Ormsbee, presented projections from an April sound study, claiming the data centers would operate within the borough's 5-decibel noise limit above ambient levels, potentially being quieter than a lawnmower. However, Attorney Justin Richards, representing borough residents, challenged the study's validity, alleging that the sound-measuring equipment lacked necessary calibration certificates and thus did not comply with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards required by Archbald's zoning ordinance. Ormsbee later conceded under cross-examination that she could not guarantee the accuracy of uncertified equipment. Throughout the four-hour session, opponents and council members voiced concerns over the study's methodology and the impact of nearly 600 routinely tested backup diesel generators. Wildcat Ridge attorney Edmund J. Campbell Jr. offered a $17 million community benefits agreement if all 14 data centers are built, an offer preceding half an hour of public comment where all seven speakers opposed the development. The Archbald Borough Council, with all seven members present, will reconvene the conditional use hearing on June 15 at 5 p.m. at the high school auditorium to continue their deliberation on Cornell Realty Management's application.