PAX-1 data center meeting postponed due to large community turnout
A meeting of the Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors to finalize Phase 1-B of the PAX-1 data center project was postponed due to a large opposing community turnout. Residents have also filed a legal challenge, alleging the data center overlay was written by the developers. Opposition to the project remains strong, with residents vowing to continue fighting.
The Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors was compelled to postpone a recent meeting aimed at finalizing Phase 1-B of the PAX-1 data center project. This decision was made due to an unexpectedly large turnout of over 100 residents, which resulted in fire safety concerns at the municipal building. The meeting was set to discuss the construction of the initial six data center buildings, part of a proposed $15 billion facility along Country Club Road.
Residents present at the meeting voiced strong opposition, with John Werner noting that the substantial turnout delivered a clear message to both the board and the developers. Concurrently, resident Andrew Dimsky, alongside four neighbors, filed a substantive validity challenge against Middlesex Township. Dimsky claims that the township's data center overlay ordinance was largely drafted by PAX1 developers with minimal alterations, thereby restricting avenues for resident feedback and limiting the board's capacity to implement controls through conditional use.
Opponents have pledged to persist in their efforts to halt the data center's construction, hoping their legal challenge will invalidate the existing overlay and reinstate the land's original neighborhood zoning. Township officials have indicated that the postponed meeting will be rescheduled for August 19th at Middlesex Elementary School, though they refrained from commenting on the ongoing legal challenge.