ARCHBALD, LACKAWANNA CO. — The Archbald Borough Council has decided on the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center and unanimously denied the application to residents’ delight.
Residents packed into the Community Center gymnasium in a standing-room-only crowd.
Most of those in attendance were in strong opposition to the proposed Data Center, with every resident who voiced their concerns during Public Comment receiving thunderous applause and sometimes a standing ovation.
One of those critics was Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan, who has been a regular at these hearings in Archbald, echoing residents’ concerns about Wildcat Ridge.
“We cannot decide and you cannot decide the future of artificial intelligence. But we can decide whether this valley, this community and these families must be sacrificed to power it,” Gaughan said.
While most in attendance were against the proposed Data Center, Attorney Edmund Campbell represented the Wildcat Ridge Data Center and attempted one last push to get the proposal across the finish line.
“I know what I’m asking you to do is not popular, but quite frankly, we met the standards under the ordinance, and we ask you to approve,” Campbell said.
The anti-data center crowd erupted in boos as Campbell walked away from the podium.
But after the Public Comment, it was time for the council to vote.
The result? A unanimous rejection of the proposal that saw the crowd erupt after nearly a year of hard work finally paid off in their favor, as Campbell could only watch in disappointment.