VIDEO, PHOTOS: Disruptions hound Pennhurst data center hearing

A contentious conditional use hearing for a massive 1.9-million-square-foot data center proposed on 123 acres of the former Pennhurst state hospital in East Vincent, Pennsylvania, saw over 100 residents and officials expressing strong opposition. The hearing, held at East Vincent Elementary School, was the first of several planned sessions and primarily focused on granting 'party status' to those wishing to formally participate. Attorney Matthew McCue for the developer, Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC, objected to granting status to anyone outside the 500-foot notification zone. After more than four hours, the three-member East Vincent Township Board of Supervisors denied party status to 22 out of 35 applicants, with recently elected member Dana Ciaffone often casting the minority vote for inclusion. About a dozen, including veterans from the nearby Southeastern Veterans' Center and the activist group East Vincent Advocacy, were granted standing. Concerns raised by residents included the 'heat island' effect, constant noise, air pollution from a proposed gas-powered energy plant, potential health impacts, significant water usage and pollution, emergency response challenges, the site becoming a target, environmental destruction of slopes and streams, traffic congestion, and decreased property values. State Sen. Katie Muth (D-44th Dist.), who lives near the site, was among those denied party status and vocally criticized the decision. Supervisors Chairman Marc Brancato called for civility amid shouts and accusations, and one young man, Aidan Mattis, video-recording for Redacted Media, was ejected by township police. The Township Planning Commission, led by Vice Chairman Lawson Macartney, and the Environmental Advisory Council, chaired by Molly Wagle, both unanimously recommended rejecting the data center, citing the developer's failure to meet proof burdens, the project's excessive size, and forecast 'high water stress' for East Vincent by 2030. The hearing is scheduled to continue on May 18, focusing on 'legal thresholds' related to zoning before the application can advance.