A new meeting will look at environmental impact of proposed data center near Parkland High School. Here’s where, when.
South Whitehall Township is holding another public meeting to discuss the environmental impact of the proposed Project Atlas data center near Parkland High School. Residents have raised concerns about noise, pollution, and sinkholes, and township departments do not recommend the project as currently described. A planning commission hearing is scheduled for later in September.
South Whitehall Township has scheduled a public meeting on September 9 to discuss Project Atlas, a proposed 1.5 million-square-foot data center complex. The project, which includes three data center buildings, is slated for undeveloped land across from Parkland High School on North Cedar Crest Boulevard.
Various advisory boards, including the Park and Recreation Board, Environmental Advisory Council, and Landscape and Shade Tree Commission, will review the project, though their recommendations are non-binding. The township's planning commission is also reviewing the proposal, with a hearing scheduled for September 23.
Residents have voiced significant concerns regarding the project's environmental impact, noise levels, pollution, and the potential for sinkholes. Township officials have noted that several departments, including the township engineer and community development, do not recommend the data center campus in its current iteration, despite the property being zoned for technology uses.