South Annville Twp. data center project scrapped after grass-roots opposition

The developer of a proposed $1.7 billion data center in South Annville Township, Pennsylvania, has officially abandoned the project by withdrawing its petition for zoning changes. A letter from attorney Jonathan D. Andrews, representing 1235 Martina Drive Owner LLC, a joint venture of Inch & Co. and Eastern Land & Resources Co., informed township supervisors that the petitioner would "no longer pursue the development." The developer had sought to rezone approximately 58 acres for industrial use along Mount Pleasant Road near U.S. Route 422 to build five 150,000-square-foot data center buildings. This decision comes after significant grass-roots opposition from the community. Michael Schroeder, a local organizer, stated he was "on cloud nine" with the news, attributing the withdrawal to "tremendous popular opposition" and a realization by developers that it would be a "real fight." Schroeder believes the unanimous vote by the South Annville Township Planning Commission on May 5 against recommending the zoning change was a key catalyst. Over 500 signatures were gathered on a petition opposing the project. While celebrating the success, Schroeder emphasized that the community's work is not over. He plans to encourage township officials to adopt a data center ordinance that safeguards public interest, noting that other municipalities are also grappling with similar issues. The scheduled supervisors meeting will still occur, but without discussion of the withdrawn data center petition.