Parkland School District discusses concerns for proposed Atlas Data Center near high school
Parkland School District has outlined significant concerns about the proposed Atlas Data Center project located across from Parkland High School in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. Concerns include potential noise, traffic, environmental impact, and demands on electricity and water resources from the "massive" development. Residents are urging the district to take a stronger public stance against the project, which officials currently find "unacceptable."
Superintendent Mark Madson of the Parkland School District presented significant concerns regarding the proposed Atlas Data Center project during a school board workshop on May 12. The project, described as "massive" and equivalent to 10 Parkland High Schools, plans for 5.1 million square feet across 400 acres in South Whitehall Township, near the high school. It includes six data center buildings, a dedicated electric substation, 356 Tier 2 diesel backup generators, and new road infrastructure. Madson emphasized that the proposal is still preliminary and could undergo changes.
The district's primary concerns span safety, environmental impact, community resources, and end-user accountability. Specific worries include potential noise and low-frequency vibrations from generators and cooling systems, increased traffic impacting student safety and bus routes, and environmental issues like soil instability, sinkholes, wastewater, and hazardous material emissions. Officials also questioned the project's impact on electricity demand, water consumption, and emergency services, advocating for an independent third-party sound study. The uncertainty surrounding the eventual tenant also worries the district.
Madson formally communicated the district's objections in a May 5 letter to South Whitehall Township Manager Thomas Petrucci, the Lehigh County Authority, PPL Electric Utilities, and the developer, stating the proposal as currently constituted is "unacceptable." Despite the property being zoned for industrial use, residents at the meeting urged the district to adopt a more aggressive public opposition stance, with Maya Younis questioning the district's silence and Caren Lowrey emphasizing student well-being impacts.
School board members, including President David Hein, acknowledged the township's stringent Planned Innovation, Research and Technology (PIRT) overlay district regulations, which established stricter standards for data center development. They affirmed the board is actively reviewing feedback and communicating concerns, planning to continue monitoring the project, engaging with township officials and the developer, and reviewing revised plans.