Project Hazelnut developers offer $10,000 grants amid ongoing opposition
Developers behind the proposed Project Hazelnut data center are offering $10,000 grants to Hazle Township residents as part of a $165 million community benefits package to gain support. The project faces ongoing legal challenges and organized opposition, having been rejected by Hazle Township supervisors, a decision upheld by a Luzerne County judge, and now appealed to Commonwealth Court.
NorthPoint Development's Project Hazelnut, a proposed large-scale data center campus on over 1,000 acres in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, continues to face significant opposition and legal challenges. Hazle Township supervisors initially rejected the proposal, a decision subsequently upheld by a Luzerne County judge. NorthPoint has since appealed the matter to the Commonwealth Court, leaving the project's future uncertain.
In an attempt to secure support, NorthPoint Development, based in Kansas City, has launched an outreach campaign. This includes a proposed $165 million community benefits package, highlighted in letters sent to Hazle Township residents. The package features a $45 million resident grant fund, which would provide eligible households with a one-time payment of $10,000, usable for home improvements or personal needs. Additionally, NorthPoint proposes a $15 million community support fund for educational, workforce, and recreational initiatives, and a $105 million commitment to the township over 15 years, intended for municipal services like a local police department or reductions in trash fees.
Addressing resident concerns, NorthPoint stated plans to use reclaimed wastewater for cooling, preserve over 1,100 acres of forest, implement dark-sky compliant lighting, and mitigate noise levels at the property boundary. However, critics from Hazle Township and neighboring communities such as Sugarloaf, Black Creek, Nescopeck, and Hollenback townships continue to raise concerns about the project's size, environmental impacts, utility demands (including a proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line), and quality-of-life issues. Critics also note that the direct financial incentives primarily benefit Hazle Township residents, excluding those in neighboring areas potentially affected by the project's infrastructure.