Neighbors push back on MontCo data center plan
Residents of Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, are opposing a proposed data center at a zoning board hearing, raising concerns about environmental impact and quality of life. Developer Brian O'Neill highlighted the potential economic benefits and increased tax revenue for the county. The zoning board did not make a decision at the meeting.
Residents of Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, gathered for a zoning board hearing at Colonial Middle School to express strong opposition to a proposed data center. Developer Brian O'Neill plans to construct the data center on the site of a former steel mill along Conshohocken Road.
Neighbors voiced significant concerns regarding the project's potential environmental impact and its effect on their quality of life, with one resident stating that nothing presented so far has made them feel comfortable, especially living directly across from the proposed site where their children wait for the bus.
Conversely, O'Neill argued that the data center could provide substantial economic benefits to the region. He pointed out that Montgomery County recently enacted one of its largest tax increases, is facing financial challenges, and that his single building could contribute 40% to the county's tax base.
The zoning board concluded the meeting without making a decision on the data center plan.