Pennsylvania residents spurn $10,000 data center checks
Residents of Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, are opposing NorthPoint Development's proposed data center after more than 1,200 acres were cleared near Eagle Rock Resort. A court-ordered construction halt and township moratorium remain in place, while residents in nearby Sugarloaf Township are fighting a transmission line that could serve the project.
Residents in Hazle Township have rejected financial offers from NorthPoint Development tied to its proposed data center, calling the payments an attempt to buy support. The developer has offered a $165 million package for the township and residents, including $10,000 payments to about 4,500 households when the first building becomes operational, along with funding for public services.
Opposition intensified after more than 1,200 acres of forest were cleared without residents saying they had been adequately notified. Residents cite concerns about noise, pollution, property values and the loss of open space. Construction has been halted by court order, and Hazle Township has enacted a moratorium. In neighboring Sugarloaf Township, residents are also challenging a high-voltage transmission line associated with the project, including an eminent-domain proceeding involving land targeted for a transmission tower.