Hazle Twp. residents debate proposed data center ordinance
Hazle Township residents debated a draft ordinance that would allow data centers by right in the I-1 Industrial District, with many speakers urging approval only through special exceptions and larger setbacks. The discussion follows the township’s 180-day moratorium and its denial of NorthPoint’s proposed Project Hazlenut data center, a decision upheld after a Luzerne County judge denied the developer’s appeal.
Hazle Township’s Planning Department held a special meeting at Hazleton Area High School to gather public input on a draft ordinance regulating data centers. The proposal would permit data centers by right in the I-1 Industrial District, while treating related uses such as substations, battery storage and ancillary power generation as special exceptions. Residents criticized the proposed 500-foot setback and urged officials to require special-exception approval, while others supported the ordinance and cited the economic benefits of data center construction.
The ordinance is being developed after township supervisors declared portions of the existing zoning ordinance invalid and imposed a limited 180-day moratorium while new rules are prepared. The debate also follows Hazle Township’s November 2025 denial of land development approval for NP Hazleton Logistics, a NorthPoint Development affiliate seeking to build the 15-building Project Hazlenut complex near Humboldt Industrial Park. A Luzerne County judge subsequently denied the developer’s appeal. Residents raised concerns about wildlife, water quality and community health, while township officials face a Dec. 7 deadline to approve a curative amendment addressing data centers and related uses.