Amid development, Ransom Twp. officials look toward data center ordinance
Ransom Township officials are preparing to vote on a new ordinance to regulate data center development, following a year of proposals and resident concerns. The ordinance seeks to protect the environment, natural resources, and the township's rural character by implementing strict requirements for conditional use, including decommissioning plans and water conservation. This comes amidst ongoing legal challenges from Scranton Materials, whose zoning change proposal was previously dismissed, and active community opposition to widespread data center development in Lackawanna County.
Ransom Township officials are advancing a new ordinance aimed at regulating data center development within the municipality, prompting a public hearing next week. The proposed regulations, developed in response to resident concerns and an initial data center proposal from Scranton Materials, address various environmental and community impacts, including requirements for buffering, wastewater and air quality management, noise control, and mandatory decommissioning plans. Residents like Ken Cruser and Sheri Lynn Brown of the Lower Lackawanna Valley Citizens Alliance have expressed support for the ordinance's protective measures, particularly the environmental safeguards and the requirement for developers to restore properties after operations cease.
The ordinance stipulates that data centers would be permitted only as a conditional use in designated commercial/manufacturing districts, with strict limits on height and lot area. This regulatory effort unfolds amid ongoing legal battles. Scranton Materials LLC, which proposed six data centers on its 251-acre quarry, appealed the township board's January dismissal of its zoning change application and filed a second lawsuit against the board earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Mudiita Land Venture LLC recently acquired 528.6 acres in Ransom Township for a hyperscale data center campus, further highlighting the region's appeal for developers. However, strong opposition persists across Lackawanna County, with figures like Gary DiBileo, president of the Keyser Valley Neighborhood Association and the county controller, voicing concerns about potential air and noise pollution, property values, and the rapid pace of development. DiBileo emphasized a widespread community sentiment against data centers without comprehensive health impact studies.