Hazle Township planners reject rezoning for PNK warehouse proposal
Hazle Township planning commissioners unanimously denied PNK P1 LLC's request to rezone 780 acres of former mining land for nine warehouses. Residents cited traffic, lighting, hazardous-material risks, mine subsidence and wildlife disruption, while township planners began drafting regulations for future data center development.
The Hazle Township Planning Commission voted unanimously on Oct. 20 to reject PNK P1 LLC's request to rezone 780 acres north of Route 940 and west of Windy Hill Drive for nine warehouses. Residents opposed the proposal over concerns about traffic, glare, hazardous substances, mine subsidence, wildlife and the effect on nearby homes.
PNK land-acquisitions representative Arin Rauf said the submitted plans were for warehouses rather than a concealed data center, although the company develops data centers elsewhere. Township engineer Joseph Calabrese noted that rezoning would have allowed a broad range of heavy-industrial uses. Separately, township planners were preparing a curative amendment to regulate data centers and planned to solicit public input at a later meeting.