South Whitehall Township has scheduled another public meeting on the Project Atlas data center proposed for land across the street from Parkland High School.
The Sept. 9 meeting will allow several advisory boards to weigh in on the $8.9 million project that would create a 1.5 million-square-foot complex including three data center buildings on undeveloped land off North Cedar Crest Boulevard. The township’s Park and Recreation Board, Environmental Advisory Council, and Landscape and Shade Tree Commission will be part of the meeting, which will be held at the high school, 2700 N. Cedar Crest Blvd.
“These agencies serve in an advisory capacity only to the township, and their review and recommendations will not constitute final approval or denial of the proposed development,” township officials said in a statement.
The environmental impact of the proposed data center has been a frequent concern voiced by residents who packed a July meeting on the project. Questions about noise levels, pollution and sinkholes dominated the conversation.
The project, which is being reviewed by the township planning commission, consists of three parcels totaling approximately 410.65 acres, which are proposed to be consolidated into a single parcel. The proposed development includes three principal data center buildings, one accessory structure and improvements associated with a cell tower, officials said.
The property is in the Planned Innovation, Research, and Technology district, which is zoned for technology uses such as data centers.
Documents on the township website show that several departments, including the township engineer and community development, do not recommend building the data center campus as it is now described.
Township officials said more information about the meeting will be released at a later time. A planning commission hearing on Project Atlas is scheduled for Sept. 23.