Taylor Township OKs ordinance to regulate possible data center
Some residents say new rules don’t go far enough to prevent proposed project
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ROARING SPRING -- After more than a dozen residents voiced their opposition to an incoming data center, Taylor Township officials on Thursday unanimously approved an amended Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance that they hope will better protect the township's citizens.
The special meeting was held at 11 a.m. in the Taylor Township municipal building to accommodate residents who work late, said board Chairman Jerome Dodson.
Talks about a possible data center being built in Taylor Township have been ongoing since September, with TerraWatt of New York City eyeing the former Appvion Paper Mill site.
Armed with that information, township officials began looking at amending the subdivision and land development ordinance to protect the community from the data center's negative effects.
While township officials voted on the amended SALDO, "there are many steps after this," Dodson said.
Public comment
Despite some updates from a draft ordinance presented earlier this month, many residents said the new ordinance doesn't go far enough to protect the community.
Standing before township officials and a crowd of concerned residents, Amy Langer acknowledged an improvement in the SALDO, compared to the first draft, such as the sound not exceeding 50 decibels. But she still has concerns.
"In too many areas, this ordinance is still written more for the convenience of the developer than for the protection of the people who already live here," she said.
Big issues still exist in the revised SALDO, she said, including a proposed data center located no closer than 300 feet to an existing structure, which she said contradicts other state ordinances that propose 1,000 feet.
She went on to list more ordinance issues, such as berms being two feet high and fire resistance being 30 minutes instead of 60 minutes, which she said protects first responders and nearby homes.
She also brought a sheet comparing the SALDO ordinance to the stronger standard recommendations. They aren't minor details, she said, but the difference between protecting families in Taylor Township and leaving them vulnerable to an incoming data center.
"You stated that you want to get this right," she told the board while tearing up. "So I respectfully but firmly ask to strengthen these remaining weak sections before final adoption."
Russel Jameson, who served in the Air Force and later contracted for the Department of Defense, said he came to live in Roaring Spring with his wife and son.
A computer has never needed water to cool its systems, he said, and "we are now putting in a business that you guys will shake hands with."
Jameson then pointed out Patrick Fanelli's title as solicitor and said, "I used to call that prostitution."
"And any of you that go along with this, shame on all of you. Disgusting," Jameson said.
Dodson took the microphone and asked the crowd to come forward with proof that township officials have taken any bribes for an incoming data center.
Jameson said officials are gaslighting the public after reading a letter from TerraWatt and then telling the public TerraWatt never submitted an official proposal.
"They didn't," Dodson said.
Jameson started shouting at the podium, telling the board that if they lie to the public, telling them that a data center isn't coming into the community, then "you're going to wake the giant that exists in this country."
"And we live all around you. You all have names and addresses. Remember that," he said before storming out of the building with his wife.
Marlan Schneider, a proxy sent from the local Mennonite community, said they want to work with Taylor Township officials, but they want answers about an incoming data center.
"Last time I checked, an impact study is done before anything else is attempted," he said.
He also wanted to know more about how an incoming center would impact farmland.
Township official responds
After public comment, Dodson said township officials spent countless hours researching the effects of data centers and speaking with professionals and sound experts.
"Just remember, if we approve this ordinance, that's only the first step," he said. "We have not received any plans. This is the first step to many, many steps."
He said that TerraWatt would have to fill out a 33-page application to the state before it's reviewed. The company is also legally obligated to host a public meeting to show the center plans, and then they'll answer questions.
The township is also required to send its plans to the Blair County Planning Commission before the commission has its own hearing and presents the township with their findings.
"According to their reviews of the ordinance they have reviewed in Pennsylvania, what they have been seeing is a more standard setback between 250 and 300 feet," he said.
Members of the crowd began to ask township officials questions for 30 minutes until board members went into executive session.
They then voted to approve the amended ordinance.
In a phone call after the meeting, Dodson told the Mirror that board members will continue their research, and they will alert the public if TerraWatt presents the township with a plan.
"We'll keep working on it and making amendments as we can," he said. "We just need something on the books."
TerraWatt proposals
In the St. Louis region, TerraWatt has two data center proposals in the works.
Announced Wednesday, the company's latest proposal includes the possibility of building a campus of data centers on the former Alton Steel site. The campus could be built in 200-megawatt increments up to a 1-gigawatt total, according to St. Louis Magazine. TerraWatt estimates each 200-megawatt block would represent an individual investment of $2.64 billion, creating 5,000 construction jobs during buildout and 50 permanent jobs once the facility is completed.
The second proposal is for the developer to build a large-scale data center at a Midtown warehouse. The City of St. Louis approved the $3.1 billion plan, but it has been stalled due to a lawsuit aimed at stopping the project.
Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.