County commissioners learn about proposed S. Annville Twp. data center

Lebanon County Commissioners recently received a courtesy briefing on a proposed $1.7 billion data center in South Annville Township, Pennsylvania. The meeting, requested by Joe Eisenhauer, vice president of development for Inch & Co., saw a packed room, predominantly with project protestors. While Commissioner Chairman Mike Kuhn clarified that the county commissioners would not vote on the matter, as the final decision rests with South Annville Township supervisors, he allowed for public comment due to the high turnout. The proposed project, a joint venture between Inch & Co. and Eastern Land & Resources Co. under the entity 1235 Martina Drive Owner LLC, seeks both a zoning map amendment and a zoning ordinance adoption from the township. Eisenhauer explained that the company is working with the township to craft a mutually beneficial ordinance, as a blanket denial of data centers would be illegal. The plan involves rezoning approximately 49 acres from commercial to industrial (I-1) use and includes a proposal to swap some agricultural land for industrial use. The early design outlines five data centers, totaling roughly 750,000 square feet, with building walls up to 60 feet high. Key infrastructure needs include the realignment of Mount Pleasant Road, which will necessitate a PennDOT traffic impact study. Eisenhauer and project engineer Gary McKee addressed major resident concerns: electrical power, water use, and noise generation. The project plans to use a closed-loop chilled water system with air-cooled chillers, expecting to emit 40-50 decibels of noise. The developers also expressed openness to incorporating solar panels for internal lighting and discussed the preliminary possibility of using effluent water from a nearby treatment facility. During the public comment session, only one of ten speakers supported the project, citing potential employment opportunities for 50-100 people and partnerships with local schools. However, the majority voiced strong opposition, raising concerns about the data centers' proximity to a populated area (3,200 residents within a one-mile radius), potential health hazards, environmental impacts, and the channeling of sound in the developing business park.