Archbald, Jessup postpone data center hearings Monday night

Archbald and Jessup boroughs in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, both postponed public hearings for significant data center proposals on Monday night. The reasons for the rescheduling differed, but both delays left residents and developers awaiting further action. In Archbald, the borough council was forced to cancel its hearing for a conditional use application by Archbald I LLC (operating for Provident Realty Advisors) for a massive 18-building data center campus. Borough Solicitor Jay O'Connor explained that the necessary public notices had not been published in The Times-Tribune. The proposal involves building up to 18 two-story data centers, each 90 feet tall with a 154,850-square-foot footprint across approximately 400 acres. Residents had previously raised concerns about water and electricity needs, which were expected to be addressed by developer representatives at this postponed hearing. A new hearing date will be advertised. Meanwhile, the Jessup Borough Zoning Hearing Board continued its hearing for a height variance request from Sunnyside Road Associates LLC. Board Solicitor Mario Hanyon stated that the postponement was due to a family emergency involving a key witness for the developer. Sunnyside Road Associates, a firm behind which is Catalyst Commercial Development LLC, seeks a variance to exceed Jessup's 50-foot height restriction to construct a 487,000-square-foot, 90-foot-tall data center. The proposed site is located near the Lackawanna Energy Center natural gas-fired power plant. The board is coordinating a new hearing date, targeting April 21, 22, or 28.