Springdale Planning Commission holds off on data center decision

Amid a packed room of residents, Springdale’s Planning Commission postponed a vote to recommend borough council approve or deny a developer’s application to build a massive data center.

The commission will reconvene on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. to make its final decision.

The decision to hold off came after a more than two-hour meeting during which residents grilled developers from Allegheny DC Property Co. on everything from energy use to the center’s potential health effects.

Considering resident concerns and the amount of information discussed during the meeting, Planning Commissioner David Prevost said he didn’t feel comfortable advancing the project forward on Wednesday.

“It was a little more than I wanted to move tonight,” he said.

The commission’s recommendation on Oct. 8 will then be considered by Springdale Council at a public hearing set for Oct. 16. There, council would vote to conditionally approve or deny the project.