Residents react to the proposed Project Hazelnut data center in Hazle Township
Residents in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, are opposing the proposed Project Hazelnut data center, citing threats to their quality of life, property values and private wells. They are also criticizing NorthPoint Development’s offer of $10,000 to nearby residents if the project is approved and becomes operational.
Residents of Hazle Township and nearby Sugarloaf say the proposed Project Hazelnut data center could transform their formerly quiet community and harm their quality of life. They raised concerns about construction, declining property values and the possibility that heavy water use could cause residential wells to dry up.
Several residents criticized NorthPoint Development’s offer to pay neighbors $10,000 if the project is approved and begins operating, characterizing the payments as an effort to buy support rather than a community benefit. Residents also questioned whether local officials and state government would protect them from the project’s potential impacts, while expressing broader distrust of the companies involved.