Developer offers $165M to Hazle Township residents for data center approval after denials
NorthPoint Development's "Project Hazelnut," a 15-building data center campus in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, was denied land development approvals by township supervisors. An appeal by NorthPoint was subsequently denied by a Luzerne County judge. In response, NorthPoint is offering a $165 million "benefits package," including $10,000 payments to every Hazle Twp. household, to gain approval for the project, which critics view as an attempt to circumvent the democratic process and sway public opinion after losing previous approvals and appeals.
NorthPoint Development's proposed 15-building data center campus, dubbed "Project Hazelnut," north of the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, faces significant local opposition and has encountered multiple roadblocks. Hazle Township residents vocally opposed the project during a public meeting in November 2025, leading to township supervisors unanimously voting 3-0 to deny the necessary land development approvals.
NorthPoint Development appealed this decision, but Luzerne County Judge Lisa Gelb denied the appeal last month. While the judge suggested avenues for the developer, such as pursuing a special exception through Hazle Township's zoning hearing board or challenging the validity of the township's zoning ordinance, the developers have taken a different approach.
Last week, NorthPoint Development announced a "benefits package" totaling $165 million, which includes $10,000 payments to every Hazle Township household if the data center project is approved. The package also commits $105 million to the township for services and $15 million for community projects. Critics, like Sugarloaf Township resident John Zola, view this offer as a "desperate" attempt and a "bribe" to circumvent the democratic process and sway residents after the project faced initial denials and a failed appeal. The Scranton Times-Tribune's opinion piece characterizes this as an "expensive end run around democracy," urging officials and residents to reject the offer.