Salem Twp. supervisor prepared to abstain from data center overlay vote
A Salem Township supervisor plans to abstain from a crucial vote on expanding the township's Special Data Center Overlay zoning district due to potential financial benefits related to property sales to a company involved in the expansion. This vote comes as a judge ruled a previous planning commission meeting on the matter violated the state's Sunshine Act, invalidating its recommendations. The planning commission is set to revote on the overlay expansion and review other data center related applications.
Salem Township Supervisor Steven Fraind intends to abstain from a contentious vote regarding the expansion of the township's Special Data Center Overlay zoning district. Fraind's decision stems from an ethics concern, as he signed a memorandum granting 4-3 Glennbrook Group, a company involved in acquiring properties within the proposed overlay expansion area, an option to purchase a property he owns.
The scheduled vote was postponed after Luzerne County Judge Lisa Gelb ruled that a previous planning commission meeting, where the overlay was recommended, violated the state Sunshine Act. This ruling necessitates a new, legally compliant planning commission meeting before the supervisors can proceed with the data center issue. Furthermore, plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that a subsequent supervisors' meeting also violated the Sunshine Act due to inadequate public notice.
The planning commission is now expected to hold another meeting to hear from 4-3 Glennbrook Group and the public, and to vote again on the application to expand the overlay district. The agenda for this upcoming meeting also includes reviews for a Preliminary/Final Master Plan Amendment submitted by Amazon Data Services for its data center campus, as well as a zoning amendment application from Moores 109 LLC. Another planning commission member, Susan Lynn, previously abstained from voting due to her property ownership within the district.