Allentown environmental advisory council hears concerns over proposed data center
Allentown's Environmental Advisory Council heard significant resident concerns about a proposed 224,000-square-foot data center on Emmaus Ave. Residents are worried about health risks and environmental impacts, urging stronger opposition from the advisory council. The council plans to send a letter with recommendations to the Director of Planning & Zoning, while the City Council is also discussing a new ordinance to regulate data centers city-wide, though it may not apply to this specific project.
The Allentown Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) held a virtual meeting that saw its highest attendance in a decade, as dozens of residents voiced strong concerns about a proposed 224,000-square-foot data center at 2401 Emmaus Ave.
Community members expressed fears regarding the data center's proximity to homes and businesses, particularly highlighting potential health risks for chronically and terminally ill children supported by the nearby Camelot for Children nonprofit, according to board member Mark Miller. The EAC plans to submit a letter to Allentown Director of Planning & Zoning Jennifer Gomez, offering recommendations to assess the project's environmental and community impacts. This letter will inform deliberations during a June 9 city planning commission meeting on the proposal.
Despite the EAC's efforts, many attendees felt the letter's language was too soft and suggested it inadvertently supported the data center, criticizing its praise of data centers as "necessary." They advocated for stronger, more decisive language against the proposal. Meanwhile, Allentown City Council is set to discuss a new ordinance to regulate data centers, but it would not retroactively apply to the Emmaus Avenue project. EAC Co-Chair Tinku Khanwalkar expressed concern that overly strong language from the advisory council could jeopardize its standing and relationship with the City Council.
However, Val Weisler of Lehigh Valley Stands Up, supported by other residents, argued that the current language could be exploited by developers and called for the removal of any positive framing of data centers. Weisler also suggested Allentown implement a 180-day pause on new data center proposals to allow for more thorough consideration of the ordinance. Following public comments, the advisory council members agreed to amend their letter to include stronger language, specifically addressing pollution from fire suppression systems and emphasizing environmentally friendly emergency power generators.