Crowd boos data center developer during contentious meeting in Forward Township, Butler County
Neighbors in Forward Township, Butler County, spent hours on Thursday evening challenging and questioning a proposed one-million-square-foot data and energy center campus near the Connoquenessing Creek.
While the project has been in the works for three years, Thursday evening was the first time the public could weigh in as the township's planning commission begins reviewing the proposal. The developer, Allen Sherwood, couldn't speak for long without being interrupted by a chorus of boos from the hundreds-strong crowd that spilled outside of the township's municipal garage, where it had already been moved after a first attempt at a meeting had an above-capacity crowd.
"From an economic standpoint, we believe it will be meaningful for Forward Township and the surrounding area," Sherwood said before being interrupted by the booing at one point.
The project, proposed for along Prospect Road, is being called the Misty Hollow Energy and Data Center Campus. Developers said the project won't draw water from the creek, using instead a closed-loop cooling system that uses chemicals instead of water.
"We will not be drawing water from the Connoquenessing Creek," Sherwood said. The comment was met with shouts from the crowd, with some accusing Sherwood of lying.
The project, the developer said, would not draw power from the grid, instead having its own power generation system. It addresses a frequent concern about data centers raising prices for communities. Sherwood told the crowd they want to be respectful of the people who live nearby and address concerns they have about things like noise mitigation.
The crowd wasn't buying it, with one person calling the project a monstrosity.
"It's going to ruin the entire area," said Zach Purvis, a neighbor who spoke to KDKA-TV ahead of the meeting. "The noise, the light pollution, the traffic, everything."
Other neighbors shared concerns about wildlife and eagles in the area. A township supervisor said they don't have a zoning code like many other communities have that dictates specific uses for properties. Along with state law, it means they are limited in their ability to prevent the project from being built. They can require developers to make some changes to mitigate concerns.
James Schneider, who lives next to the property, said he was concerned about his well collapsing or the water becoming contaminated.
"We're not against the data center because it's part of reality, but there are legitimate concerns that are going to affect all of us. And we're hoping whether our township or the state or somebody can at least help us with our concerns," he said.
The planning commission tabled the project on Thursday and no vote was taken, township supervisor Susan Oliver Stough told KDKA. The developer now has to address issues raised by the township engineer, she added.
