BRC News 13: Tobyhanna Data Center Update
Tobyhanna Township residents are concerned about recent zoning changes allowing data centers in the Pocono Manor area, specifically within a special zoning district. Tobyhanna Township Supervisor Ed Tetron clarified that the changes were made to comply with legal requirements and to limit data center development to a small, specific area with stringent requirements. Residents, including one fighting a data center near historic land, remain concerned about the rapid pace of development and proximity to communities.
Residents of Monroe County, particularly in Tobyhanna Township, are raising concerns over recent zoning changes that permit data centers in the Pocono Manor area. The issue gained traction after Pocono Mountain School District Board Vice President Nathan Strunk publicly questioned the Tobyhanna Township supervisors' decision to allow data centers within the Tourist Development Project District (TDPD). Residents like Sophia Matthews expressed feeling "blindsided" by the swiftness and implications of these changes, which they believe were not transparently communicated.
Tobyhanna Township Supervisor Ed Tetron addressed these concerns, explaining that the township was legally obligated to designate an area for data center development. He stated that the decision to permit data centers in the TDPD, a special zoning district covering the Pocono Manor Kalahari area, was a strategic move to limit their presence to just three specific parcels. This approach, he argued, was preferable to allowing data centers in broader commercial-industrial zones, which would have led to a much larger influx of such facilities. Tetron also highlighted that while a conditional use permit is no longer required, developers must now comply with stringent ordinances and obtain normal land development approvals, giving the township more control than a potentially swayed public hearing.
Despite the supervisor's clarification, residents continue to voice opposition. Gina Loek, a Pocono Manor resident, is actively fighting a data center project near her home and emphasizes the area's federally historic registered land status, arguing it should be protected from disturbance. Nathan Strunk, in a statement, reiterated his personal concern over the rapid pace of data center projects and their proximity to residential communities and schools, noting the Pocono Manor site is only a few miles from educational institutions and borders neighborhoods.