Dorrance Twp. zoning hearing resumes Monday

The Dorrance Township zoning hearing board is scheduled to resume a critical hearing on Monday regarding a "substantive validity challenge" filed by Brewster Land Company, LLC. The company contends that the township's zoning ordinance, before an amendment on September 22, unlawfully prohibited data center uses under Pennsylvania law. This hearing, which commenced on October 1 and has been continued twice, will decide if the prior ordinance indeed excluded data centers. If the board rules in favor of Brewster Land Company, it will then consider granting site-specific relief, potentially allowing the construction of a data center with six buildings on a 155-acre commercial-zoned parcel at South Main and Yeager Roads. The recent amendment limits data centers to industrial zones. Matthew McHugh, the attorney representing the developer, previously provided three hours of testimony on October 1, arguing that the ordinance in effect on August 19, when his client planned to submit its development plan, did not accommodate data centers or their accessory equipment. Should the zoning hearing board deny the company's claim, Brewster Land Company retains the right to appeal the decision to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. The zoning hearing board is composed of Dorrance Township residents James Brando, Dale Buchanan, and Stanley Witinski.