A data center developer will attend zoning hearings in two Midvalley communities this week, arguing to overturn Dickson City\u2019s data center zoning on Wednesday before seeking approval for a 400-megawatt natural gas power plant in Archbald on Thursday.\n<\/p>\n
Dickson City Development LLC, a firm affiliated with Kriger Construction Inc. looking to develop four data centers<\/a> across Bell Mountain, will go before the Dickson City Zoning Hearing Board for a hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday to challenge the borough\u2019s data center zoning ordinance, according to a public notice published May 13 in The Times-Tribune.\n<\/p>\n The following day, Essential Energy LLC, another company tied to Kriger Construction\u2019s president, Jim Marzolino, and its vice president, David Stiles, both of whom signed applications for the project, will go before Archbald Borough Council at 5 p.m. Thursday for the second conditional use hearing<\/a> on plans to build a natural gas power plant on Eynon Jermyn Road. The power plant would be across the street from Marzolino\u2019s proposed Project Boson \u2014 a 620,000-square-foot data center at the site of the former Highway Auto Parts junkyard. Archbald announced the hearing date at the conclusion of its previous Essential Energy hearing on April 27.\n<\/p>\n Dickson City will hold its hearing at its Borough Building, 901 Enterprise St.; Archbald will hold its hearing at the Valley View High School auditorium, 1 Columbus Drive, Archbald.\n<\/p>\n Dickson City<\/p>\n Dickson City Development is challenging Dickson City\u2019s data center zoning both in court and with the borough\u2019s zoning hearing board.\n<\/p>\n Borough council unanimously voted Feb. 12 to adopt zoning regulations for data centers. The legislation defined, regulated and restricted data centers and accessory uses as special exceptions in the borough\u2019s light manufacturing district, requiring any proposal to receive approval from the zoning hearing board. The ordinance established standards governing data center development in the borough while limiting them to Enterprise Street near Eagle Lane and undeveloped land southeast of Railroad Street. It does not permit them on Bell Mountain.<\/p>\n Dickson City Development filed a land use appeal<\/a> on March 13 in the Lackawanna County Court of Commons Pleas looking to annul Dickson City\u2019s adoption of the zoning ordinance, arguing it was exclusionary to data centers, among other contentions.\n<\/p>\n Taking those arguments to the zoning hearing board, Dickson City Development\u2019s appeal challenges the \u201cenactment and\/or validity\u201d of the borough\u2019s zoning ordinance, according to the May 13 public notice in The Times-Tribune.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Dickson City Development uses the address 99 Power Blvd., Archbald, in its land use appeal, which corresponds with Kriger Construction and its NEPA Concrete & Asphalt plant.\n<\/p>\n Dickson City Development is also actively appealing Dickson City\u2019s denial of its applications to build four data centers across Bell Mountain above Business Route 6. Another firm tied to Kriger Construction, Dickson City Power, also applied with Dickson City for approval to develop at least three power plants on the same mountainside near the data centers.\n<\/p>\n The appeal for the data centers is ongoing following an initial hearing April 29, with the next hearing scheduled for May 27 at 5 p.m., according to the May 13 public notice.<\/p>\n The Dickson City Zoning Hearing Board will then consider applications for the power plants<\/a> June 4 at 6 p.m.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Archbald<\/p>\n