Springdale Council mulls data center before vote; opposing counsel backs out of process
It’s now up to Springdale Council to make a decision on a massive proposed data center at the site of the former Cheswick Generating Station.
After months of meetings and questions, developers wrapped up their formal testimony before council late Monday night. Springdale Solicitor Craig Alexander said he expects a final vote on the project’s conditional-use application next month.
Unlike the previous council hearing last month, witnesses for the developer weren’t cross-examined by opposing counsel Tom Kloehn on Monday.
That’s because Kloehn confirmed his client, Springdale resident Mitch Karaica, had pulled out as an objector to the data center project on Friday. He did not offer a reason for the reversal.
The meeting
In a meeting that lasted about five hours, however, developer Allegheny DC Property Co. offered six expert witnesses to talk about the project’s acoustics, traffic and environmental impacts and the center’s potential significance for the borough.
Before testimony began, Harlan Stone, an attorney representing the developers, asked Councilwoman Toni Robbins to recuse herself from a potential vote. He cited Robbins’ stated opposition to the project, as expressed in an Oct. 24 TribLive article ahead of the November general election.
Robbins did not respond to Stone about his request. After the meeting, she said that she would be consulting with the borough solicitor.
Noise remained top of mind for council on Monday.
Resuming testimony he began in October, architect Paul D’Onofrio went over well-trodden topics such as on-site generator testing, but generally asserted that the project falls within borough requirements.
Mark Bastasch, an acoustical engineer for Jacobs Solutions, the firm responsible for designing the project, also testified and fielded questions from council members.
He said the backup generators would likely be perceived at about 75 decibels at 23 feet. Jeff Babich, a sound expert who has appeared previously as an expert for developers, wasn’t present Monday night.
Councilman Jeff Hartz questioned how the constant noise generated at the center would affect pets, wildlife or those on the autism spectrum.
The topic of potential power outages also remained in play.
Councilman Joe Kern questioned whether each of the more than 100 backup generators, likely to run on diesel fuel, would have to run at once during an outage and what would happen in the case of a days-long blackout.
D’Onofrio said all of the generators would usually be required to run during an outage. But he could not offer a firm answer on preparations for a lengthier period without electricity.
He said the center could shut down if required, but future operations would have to be analyzed situationally.
Aside from D’Onofrio and Bastasch, developers also briefly questioned geotechnical engineer Shane Rasch, traffic engineer Rachel DePan, air quality expert Amanda Black and Allegheny DC consultant Brian Regli.
Regli has served as the main spokesman for the project. He confirmed Monday that the developer had hired Sam Miller, who previously served as the plant manager of the former Cheswick Generating Station, as project manager for the data center.
Miller would oversee day-to-day operations and remediation efforts if the project is approved, Regli said.
The residents
Despite the lengthy proceedings, numerous residents stayed the course in Springdale’s borough gymnasium with around a dozen offering comments to the board.
While some continued to advocate for the project’s rejection, others, like resident Cindy Renaldi, said they were confident in council.
“I’m placing my trust in all of you up there to make the right decision,” Renaldi told council members about five hours into the night.
She said she understands the project presents a difficult question, but if council does opt to approve the center, Renaldi encouraged members to monitor developers “every inch of the way.”
John Murray, who was narrowly defeated in the race for Springdale mayor this month, criticized the developers’ noise study and urged Allegheny DC to investigate how to further mitigate sound from the site.
“I’m not for or against this,” Murray said. “I just want all the info.”
Springdale Manager Terry Carcella said after the meeting that council would consult with sound experts from Fayette County-based Thornton Acoustics and Vibrations before a potential vote.
The background
The meeting came a week after Springdale’s planning commission offered the project its blessing with a bevy of conditions.
The commission also voted to allow developers to increase the height of a proposed perimeter fence to 8 feet and make slight modifications to parking stalls at the site.
The borough’s Zoning Hearing Board, which presided over a similar marathon meeting last month, has yet to issue its ruling on a handful of other variances sought by the developer. Among them are two requests that would allow Allegheny DC to raise the height of the proposed center by 15 feet with rooftop equipment.
But Springdale Solicitor Craig Alexander said the council could vote without a ruling from the ZHB.
Last month, developers presented two witnesses, one being D’Onofrio, during the first round of testimony.
The other was real estate appraiser Anthony Barna. He said then that he conservatively estimates the site would generate about $658,000 in real estate tax revenue for the borough each year. That’s in addition to $1.46 million for Allegheny Valley School District and $434,000 for Allegheny County.
The Dec. 16 meeting is set for 6 p.m.
It remains unclear if council will craft further conditions or modify existing ones for the project before the vote.
James Engel is a TribLive staff writer. He can be reached at jengel@triblive.com
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