Judge denies challenges to a 1.5 million-square-foot East Whiteland data center project
A Chester County judge denied appeals challenging the approvals for a 1.5 million-square-foot data center in East Whiteland Township. This decision upholds the 2018 zoning permit and 2024 development plan approval, moving the controversial project forward despite ongoing resident opposition.
A Chester County judge, Anthony Verwey, denied two separate land use appeals seeking to halt a 1.5 million-square-foot data center project in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania. Judge Verwey dismissed the appeals as "frivolous" and "filed well out of time," thereby upholding previous approvals granted by the East Whiteland Zoning Hearing Board in 2018 and the Board of Supervisors in 2024.
The appeals were brought by residents, including attorney Andrew Schneider, who argued that the township had erred in its approval process and that the project would cause irreparable harm. However, Lou Colagreco, an attorney representing the developers Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers, countered that residents lacked sufficient evidence and that the appeals were untimely.
Colagreco confirmed that initial work, including stormwater management facilities, is already underway for the project, which is proposed for a Superfund site near residential areas and a popular trail. This ruling marks a significant setback for local residents who have actively opposed the data center.