East Vincent denies data center application at former Pennhurst site
The East Vincent Board of Supervisors denied an application to build a 1.9-million-square-foot hyperscale data center at the former Pennhurst Hospital site, citing non-compliance with local zoning requirements. The decision was met with cheers from residents and advocacy groups, while the developer, Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC, announced plans to appeal the ruling in court. Local and state officials, along with environmental groups, weighed in on the outcome and broader implications for data center development in Pennsylvania.
The East Vincent Board of Supervisors unanimously denied an application for a 1.9-million-square-foot hyperscale data center at the former Pennhurst Hospital site, a decision that prompted cheers from an audience of approximately 100 people. The 3-0 vote, occurring during a conditional use hearing, determined that the proposed project did not meet the township's zoning requirements.
The applicant, Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC, through attorney Matthew McHugh, argued that the plan's inclusion of data center offices, battery storage, and a gas-fired power plant qualified as multiple uses under the existing "industrial mixed use" overlay zoning. However, Township Solicitor Joseph Clemente, attorney Carl Ewald representing the advocacy group Prevent East Vincent Data Centers, and attorney Judith Graham for the Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance, successfully contended that these were accessory uses to a single industrial purpose. They also highlighted that the project's size exceeded the 60,000-square-foot primary structure limit for planned commercial zoning.
Following the denial, Kevin Feeley, a spokesperson for the project, stated that the vote was "not unexpected" and that the developer intends to appeal the decision in court once a formal ruling is issued within 45 days. This denial follows earlier unanimous rejections by the planning commission due to various deficiencies in the project plans.
State Sen. Katie Muth, a local opponent of data center projects, celebrated the supervisors' decision, criticizing the proposal as an "insult to humanity." The advocacy group Food and Water Watch also praised the outcome, calling it a reflection of community will and urging Governor Shapiro and state lawmakers to enact a statewide data center moratorium, noting that residents are pushing back against corporate interests where state leaders have not yet acted decisively.