Opposition grows as residents push back on proposed data center in Northampton County | Slate Belt Area

LOWER MOUNT BETHEL, Pa. – A group opposing a proposed data center in Northampton County turned out people for a township supervisors meeting Monday night.

Lower Mount Bethel Township still hasn’t received a formal proposal for the data center, but people are already organizing in a big way to fight it. The group “No Data Center LMBT” has slowly been gathering neighbors together to fight the proposed project off of Martins Creek Belvidere Hwy. Neighbors like Matt Hackenburg, who lives just up the road.

“You can sit out here at night and it’s quiet, you can hear the insects. It’s nice and peaceful and quiet. The thought of having a constant hum of fans going is also, it’s soul-crushing,” said Hackenburg.

A website for the data center project argues it will increase the tax base, and bring a lot of jobs to the area, but former Township Supervisor Sandra Newman said, who cares?

“What do we need the money for? We like it here. We don’t need a mall, we don’t need five new restaurants. We’re here because this is what we love,” said Newman.

The group is raising thousands of dollars through a Go Fund Me and getting people to sign a petition calling for the project to be voted down.

“We have way over 5,000 signatures. It’s not just us. There’s neighboring communities that this is going to affect also,” said Lynn Fleck, who lives up the road from the proposed data center site.

In response, the township sent us a statement, saying in part:

“The township will administer its zoning and land development regulations in a fair and objective manner… The township encourages and values public engagement throughout the process.”

But neighbors Fleck said she doesn’t want her supervisors to be objective.

“They should be backing us,” said Fleck.

And they’re worried that might not be the case. In a newsletter sent out by IBEW Local 102, it mentions Supervisor Board Chair Chris Cook, saying he’s “working diligently to get this across the finish line.”

69 News reached out to Cook, but he just directed us to the township’s official statement. Neighbors said they’ll keep fighting, with or without support from the township.

“I’m very hopeful we’ll stop it, and we’ll keep them off our farms, but it’s going to be a fight,” said Hackenburg.