Data center $10,000-per-household idea called 'bribe' by neighbors
A data center developer, NorthPoint Development, is offering $10,000 to each household in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, if its 'Project Hazelnut' data center is built. Residents Ed Parks and Ed Negra, who live adjacent to the proposed site, are calling the offer a 'bribe' and are critical of the project. The township supervisors previously rejected a land application from NorthPoint, and a Luzerne County judge denied the company's subsequent appeal.
NorthPoint Development, the real estate firm behind 'Project Hazelnut,' a proposed 15-building data center in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, has sent letters to local households offering a '$45 million direct resident grant fund' worth $10,000 per household upon the first building's certificate of occupancy. Residents Ed Parks and Ed Negra, whose homes in the Eagle Rock Resort community are near the proposed site, have vehemently criticized the offer, calling it a 'bribe' designed to divide the community. They also expressed dismay that the project is part of Governor Josh Shapiro's 'Fast Track' permitting program, despite local opposition.
The developer's letter, signed by CEO Nathaniel Hagedorn, aims to address community concerns regarding water usage, environmental impact, setbacks, light pollution, and power demands. It also highlights potential community benefits, including $105 million over 15 years for township initiatives. However, the $10,000 direct grant to each of the more than 4,000 Hazle Township households is the most contentious aspect.
Local opposition to the project has been significant. Hazle Township supervisors previously voted unanimously to reject a land application from NorthPoint, a decision that was upheld last month when a Luzerne County judge denied an appeal filed by the developer. The controversy also reflects broader state-level concerns about data center development, with legislators like Democratic Rep. Kyle Mullins and Republican Rep. Jamie Walsh scrutinizing the industry's rapid growth and associated real estate transactions in the region.