ARCHBALD — The borough planning commission was unable to meet Wednesday due to a lack of a quorum after three more members resigned over the past week, making it eight resignations from the seven-member board in less than a year.
The commission now lacks the necessary members to decide on plans for at least eight data centers.
Residents gather for a scheduled Archbald Planning Commission meeting at the Borough Building on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)
Archbald Planning Commission members Larry Marchetti and Paul Memo were unable to hold a meeting due to a lack of a quorum at the Borough Building on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)
Show Caption
1 of 2
Residents gather for a scheduled Archbald Planning Commission meeting at the Borough Building on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)
At what was supposed to be the start of Wednesday’s scheduled meeting at 6 p.m., Archbald Planning Commission members Larry Marchetti, who is also a borough councilman, and Paul Memo waited for 10 minutes before borough Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer Brian Dulay announced there would be no meeting. The next meeting will be Dec. 2 at 6 p.m., Dulay said.
Planning Commission Member Brian Kavanaugh, who council appointed during its Oct. 21 meeting, was not present Wednesday.
“I was instructed to wait until 6:10, and if we don’t have a quorum, that would be the announcement — that there’s no meeting this evening,” Dulay announced to the crowd that filled the Borough Building’s council chambers amid rumors of new resignations.
For proposed principally permitted data centers — which do not require conditional use hearings — the planning commission is tasked with approving or denying them based on their final land development plans. Principally permitted projects include Project Gravity‘s seven data centers, each with 138,000-square-foot footprints, and Project Boson‘s nearly 620,000-square-foot data center on Eynon Jermyn Road.
During a packed planning commission meeting last month, residents urged borough planners to deny Project Gravity’s final land development plans for its 180-plus-acre campus between Eynon Jermyn Road and Business Route 6.
Although borough council still has to vote to formally accept the resignations, former planning commission Chairman Scott Gilliland, former Vice Chairman Walter Loff Jr. and former member Daniel Gilroy all submitted letters of resignation over the last week. As a seven-member body, the planning commission needs at least four members present to have a quorum.
Composed of seven seats plus an alternate, Archbald’s planning commission has repeatedly changed over the past year with new appointments and resignations. In total, eight planning commission members have resigned since November 2025.
The Archbald Planning Commission presides over a meeting at the Borough Building on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)
The trend matches a slew of resignations from borough council; five of Archbald’s seven council members were appointed following resignations within the last year. Council President Louis Rapoch and Councilwoman Erin Owen are the only elected council members.
Borough Manager Dan Markey provided a timeline of the planning commission’s resignations and appointments:
• Longtime member Dave Lamereaux submitted a letter of resignation Nov. 6, 2025, effective Dec. 31.
• Daniel Gilroy was appointed by council to fill Lamereaux’s seat Feb. 18; Kayleigh Cornell was appointed as an alternate at the same meeting.
• Planning commission member John Mazza resigned March 5, effective the same day.
• Cornell graduated from an alternate to a regular planning commission member at council’s March 18 meeting.
• Planning commission member Cliff Capuano resigned March 19, effective April 1.
• Cornell resigned May 6.
• Council appointed Marchetti to the planning commission May 20.
• Former Vice Chairman Rob Nolan resigned Aug. 3, effective Aug. 4.
• Council appointed Kavanaugh Oct. 21.
• Gilroy submitted his letter of resignation Oct. 30, effective immediately.
• Gilliland and Loff submitted resignation letters dated Nov. 1, effective Nov. 2.
The resignations come as Archbald navigates proposals and legal challenges surrounding 51 data centers and a natural gas power plant, with more data center proposals likely on the way in the Valley View Business Park.
Multiple resignation letters, which The Times-Tribune obtained via a Right-to-Know Law request Thursday afternoon, reference data centers, potential litigation or the current environment in the borough.
Archbald Borough Council voted in August to amend its Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, or SALDO, to take over the authority from the planning commission to approve major subdivisions and land developments. However, that only applies to applications received after council passed the ordinance, Markey said.
With only three members remaining on the planning commission, Markey said Archbald’s ordinance governing the commission allows council to appoint up to two of its own members.
That means that because Marchetti is the only council member currently on the planning commission, Archbald now has the option to appoint a second council member, which would give the planning commission a four-member quorum for future meetings.
Council will hold its next meeting Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.
Residents interested in serving on the planning commission can visit archbaldpa.gov/government/boards_commissions/vacancies.php for information on how to apply.