RANSOM TOWNSHIP, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Opposition continues to grow in Ransom Township over a proposed data center near residential neighborhoods.
Residents who attended a zoning hearing last night say the room was packed, emotions ran high, and township supervisors ultimately postponed a decision.
“The basic story is we are kind of getting steamrolled by this company that’s looking to put in this new hyperscale data center a mile or two up the road from my neighborhood,” said Zack Hiller, Fawnwood Resident.
Residents say more than 100 people crowded into a Ransom Township hearing Monday night to oppose a proposed data center by Scranton Materials LLC, a company based in Meshoppen, Wyoming County.
The project would be located at 819 Newton Road, on land currently zoned open space and conservation and used as a quarry. According to residents, the company is seeking a zoning overlay, a change township officials explained would not automatically approve the data center but would allow it to be considered under certain conditions.
Those who spoke at the meeting say many residents remain deeply concerned.
“We are in the middle of already experiencing inflating prices across the country and increase in our water bills, electric bills, the placing of necessary faucets to combat the lack of water pressure, replacing of appliances that run water that will get ruined with sediment runoff. It’s a disaster waiting to happen for us over here,” said Hiller.
The proposed zoning borders the City of Scranton, just above Keyser Valley, an area residents say already floods during heavy rain. In nearby neighborhoods like Fawnwood, signs line the streets reading “NO DATA CENTERS.”
Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti attended the meeting and warned that development outside city limits can still impact the city.
“It’s not the city limits, but we all know that water doesn’t stop at a city line. It doesn’t stop at a county line. And it’s our responsibility to make sure that that’s clear,” said Mayor Cognetti.
She also raised concerns about stormwater and land disruption near ongoing flood mitigation projects in Scranton.
“You can imagine that it is very worrying to then see there would be a major development right on the border above us that would include great deal of disruption of that land and also potentially a lot of water discharge through the process that potential data center would use to cool the center itself,” said Cognetti.
Residents say noise and environmental impacts were also major themes during public comment.
“The noise pollution would be incredible in the area. Imagine a vacuum permanently being left on and running in your ear the entire time you’re outside of your house. Studies and materials claiming there is a lack of wildlife in the area can be easily disproven by driving up the road and turning your head left and right,” said Hiller.
Gary DiBileo, President of the Keyser Valley Neighborhood Association, says residents are organizing as similar proposals appear across the county.
“We are mobilizing, like the people in the Mid Valley had to do a few months ago. We really don’t understand what they were going through until now,” said DiBileo.
DiBileo says the meeting space itself became an issue and pointed to the scale of the proposal discussed at the hearing.
“The Scranton Materials stone quarry calls for seven buildings that total the size of 14 football fields. That’s on paper right now. That’s not to say they won’t try to expand in the future. We don’t know,” said DiBileo.
That follow-up hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20th at 6 p.m., inside the garage of the Ransom Township municipal building, a larger space chosen to accommodate the crowd.
We reached out to Ransom Township officials for comment today but have not heard back.