Middlesex Township data center vote postponed
A final vote on a data center project in Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, was postponed due to a large crowd exceeding capacity, violating the state's Sunshine Act. Residents expressed significant opposition over environmental impacts, energy and water usage, property values, and noise. The meeting has been rescheduled for final approvals.
A crucial vote on the final approval for a large data center project in Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, was postponed after an overwhelming number of residents attended the supervisors' meeting. The crowd size exceeded the room's capacity, leading to a violation of the state's Sunshine Act, as the meeting was neither streamed nor could everyone fit inside the venue. This forced the Middlesex Township supervisors to delay the decision.
Residents have voiced significant opposition to the 'packs one project' located off Country Club Road, raising concerns about its potential environmental impacts, substantial energy and water consumption, negative effects on property values, and increased noise. While the unnamed company behind the project claims transparency throughout the two-year process, having already secured several approvals and promising tens of millions of dollars annually in taxes for local schools, the county, and the township, community members remain suspicious and actively engaged. The meeting for final approvals has since been rescheduled.