Archbald data center battle continues after months of frustration and fierce opposition
News Clip2:12WNEP·Archbald, Lackawanna County, PA·4/14/2026
Archbald residents continued their fierce opposition against the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center at a recent conditional use hearing, raising concerns about traffic impact and potential environmental hazards. Residents also expressed anger over a developer-sent mailer and demanded a moratorium or a public vote on the project. The borough council indicated a vote on the project is still several meetings away.
zoningoppositionenvironmentalgovernmentmoratorium
Gov: Archbald Borough Council, Lackawanna County officials
The battle over a proposed data center in Archbald, Pennsylvania, continues as residents expressed "fierce opposition" at a recent conditional use hearing. The meeting, which focused on the traffic impact of the Wildcat Ridge Data Center project, saw a full house of frustrated residents voicing numerous grievances to the borough council and developers.
Residents showed anger over mailers sent by a local ad agency, Ryan Ley Media, on behalf of the developer. One such mailer, titled "Myth versus fact, revealing the truth and dispelling rumors about data centers," was returned by residents within minutes of the meeting's start. Concerns extended beyond traffic, with one resident highlighting a personal connection to cancer cases in the area, fearing the introduction of a "carcinogen."
Both current and former county officials called on the borough council to allow residents to vote on the Wildcat Ridge project via a ballot initiative or to enact a moratorium on data center development. The Archbald Borough Council informed Newswatch 16 that it would take at least a couple more meetings before a vote to approve or deny the project would occur. The next meeting is scheduled for May 14th at Valley View High School.