Amazon data center plans roll into Kline Twp.

Amazon is moving forward with plans to construct a nine-building data center campus in Kline Township, Pennsylvania, on land it acquired from Brewster Development. The extensive project, which includes administrative, security, and water facilities along with internal roads and utility links, is currently under review by the Kline Township supervisors and the Schuylkill County Planning Commission. The township's consultants will also conduct zoning and construction code reviews, with a public meeting expected after May 11 to accommodate anticipated large crowds. During an April 13 supervisors meeting, residents voiced significant concerns about the proposed development. Deborah Moskovich questioned why her suggestions for a new curative amendment, which included larger setbacks and stricter environmental rules, were not on the agenda, citing a three-year waiting period for further changes after the supervisors approved a data center amendment on April 8, 2024. This prompted speculation that officials were aware of Amazon's plans before they became public. Ronald Moskovich highlighted potential discrepancies in township laws regarding building height and whether a data center is permissible in the I-1 zone where Amazon owns land. Other residents raised issues about noise, tree cutting, land clearing, and water consumption, with Lauren McGill asking if Amazon could build "the most water-sucking data center" in the region. Township solicitor Mark Semanchik assured residents that ordinances for zoning, subdivision, and land development address environmental factors, sewers, and stormwater, and that Amazon must comply with these regulations. Amazon has also applied for a highway occupancy permit with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and a major revision of a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit with the Schuylkill County Conservation District.