County Housing Authority could enter data center fight in the Midvalley
The Lackawanna County Housing Authority is seeking legal counsel to intervene in data center projects proposed near its public housing complex in Jermyn. This comes as the Valley View School District's Board of Education voted to legally challenge data center developments in neighboring Archbald and oppose developer Archbald I LLC. Officials are concerned about the cumulative environmental and quality-of-life impacts on residents.
The Lackawanna County Housing Authority is exploring legal intervention against proposed data center projects in Archbald, Pennsylvania, which are located near its public housing complex in Jermyn. Authority Chairman Paul Walker confirmed plans to engage outside legal counsel to discuss "filing some type of intervention" or bringing lawsuits to protect tenants and property from developments like "Project Gravity" and "Project North," which propose large data center campuses.
This development follows recent actions by the Valley View School District's Board of Education, which voted to legally challenge data center developments. The school board authorized a law firm to intervene in a "deemed approval" lawsuit against the developer Archbald I LLC and to file a substantive validity challenge to the borough's data center zoning under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.
County Commissioner Bill Gaughan, a prominent critic of local data center proposals, emphasized that low-income families should not suffer "collateral damage" from the "global AI arms race," citing potential negative impacts on the local environment and residents' quality of life, including noise and air-quality concerns. He also contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding potential jurisdiction due to the proximity of proposed sites to federally owned Aylesworth Park. Fellow Commissioner Thom Welby echoed concerns and affirmed continued pressure on the issue.