UPPER MT. BETHEL TWP., Pa.- A legal filing from a group exploring a massive data center campus in a rural Northampton County community provides a glimpse of what that campus might look like: two dozen buildings spread across 754 acres.

The site in Upper Mount Bethel Township is mostly agricultural land and woodlands that previously was earmarked for development as part of the stalled River Pointe Commerce Park.

Last week, Slate Belt Holdings LLC filed a validity challenge after the township announced it planned to hold a special meeting about a curative amendment pertaining to zoning standards for data center development.

“The agenda I think went out Thursday morning, the day before, and by Thursday afternoon, Talen (Energy) had filed the validity challenge,” John Bermingham, chairman of the Upper Mount Bethel Board of Supervisors, told 69 News. The meeting was scheduled for the following day, Friday, July 24.

Talen Energy is one of the partners involved with Slate Belt Holdings LLC. River Pointe Logistics is the other entity involved in the joint venture, Bermingham said.

The paperwork filed with the township lists an address of 600 Hamilton Street, Suite 600, in downtown Allentown, which is the same address as Talen’s corporate offices. 

Because of the validity challenge, the curative amendment essentially became moot, Bermingham said, and so township supervisors instead voted to update an existing text amendment. “So where we’re at now is that our township engineer is going to update the text amendment that puts in water protections, environmental protections, and power protections,” said Bermingham.

“Talen said they would hold off on their validity challenge until they see what we’re bringing to the table,” Bermingham added.

But, since the challenge has already been filed and accepted by the township’s zoning hearing board, Slate Belt Holdings will have legal wiggle room, should the plans move forward, and the township’s changes butt up against those plans.

23 data center buildings 

According to documents filed with the validity challenge, Slate Belt Holdings has not yet submitted an official site plan, but a conceptual rendering of the proposed campus was included in the 44-page packet.

It shows spots for 23 data center buildings in three clusters spread out across 754 acres of land. Each data center building would be 201,500 square feet.

There’s also an administrative building, as well as several substations and stormwater management facilities.

The site combines three separate land parcels not far from the Delaware River and the New Jersey state line. It’s bounded by existing businesses (Lamtec Corporation and Custom Laminating Corporation) and River Road to the east. To the west is Potomac Street, as well as the Upper Mount Bethel Township Community Park. There are a number of homes south of the property boundary. 

All three parcels changed hands in April, according to Northampton County property records. Two were previously owned by River Pointe Logistics Center LLC, and the third was owned by New Demi Road LLC.

A formal land development plan would be examined by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, as well as the township’s planning commission. Ultimately, township supervisors would have the final say on whether the project is approved.

The potential challenge

In its filing, Slate Belt Holdings notes that, in 2024, Upper Mount Bethel’s zoning officer determined that a data center is a use permitted by right on the land, which is in the township’s I-2 General Industrial Zoning District. 

Around that same time, Amazon Web Services was rumored to be in talks to build a data center on the site, but those plans never came to fruition. 

Also, the township previously approved land development plans for the 12-building River Pointe project. “As such, the Township has already recognized that the site is appropriate for industrial-scale uses,” the filing reads.

Should the validity challenge move forward and be granted a public hearing in front of the zoning hearing board, Slate Belt Holdings will ask for site specific relief to build its proposed data center, or to issue a more general ruling that a data center would be a use permitted by right in the I-2 District as a “high technology industry” or “general industrial” use, according to the paperwork.

If data centers were not allowed according to those uses, then there is no other use listed in the township’s zoning ordinance that could encompass data centers, the challenge states.

According to the Pennsylvania Municipal Code, municipalities must provide for all legitimate land uses.

Bermingham said the hearing would most likely be scheduled for some time in September. 

A similar story in Lower Mt. Bethel

Talen Energy is also a partner in another proposed data center project about 12 miles away in neighboring Lower Mount Bethel Township. 

Talen operates both the Martins Creek Power Plant and the Lower Mount Bethel Power Plant, which are adjacent to the proposed site near Martins Creek Belvidere Highway. 

The project is facing staunch opposition from many residents, including the citizen-led group No Data Center LMBT.

Last week, township supervisors voted to schedule a public meeting on an amendment to the zoning ordinance that would add regulations for data centers. It will be held on Monday, August 17 at 7 p.m.