UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — The first hyperscale data center may be on its way to the area, but Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is concerned over what it knows about the project.
LVPC’s Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday reviewed some elements of the proposed 2.6 million-square-feet Cetronia Road Data Center intended for Upper Macungie Township.
And it raised plenty of questions and concerns over the lack of available information for the project.
While the Lehigh Valley has seen micro, small and a handful of medium data center proposals, the Cetronia Road center would be the first hyperscale-sized facility in the region.
But the process could be hampered by the wealth of missing plan details, including information about environmental impacts and mitigation efforts, and how the facility could affect local infrastructure.
LVPC Chief Community and Regional Planner Jill Seitz said the massive complex would be built at the former Air Products corporate headquarters, at 7300 Cetronia Road.
Seitz said that while data centers are essential to meeting modern digital connectivity needs and demands, the proposed project is a bit different.
“Hyperscale facilities pose unprecedented levels of impact to communities’ utility infrastructure,” Seitz said.
“Thorough evaluation and coordination across stakeholders are essential to ensure adequate capacity is available to meet the needs of the facility and that the project supports public health, safety and welfare.”
Missing essential information
Seitz said the LVPC met with an external review agency to discuss the project and help with commentary, and while the proposed location is in an area identified as suitable for development, data centers can pose health and quality of life issues to neighboring residents and land uses if they are not mitigated properly.
The LVPC previously looked at what Seitz called a “nearly identical site plan at the proposed project site.”
“In a letter dated April 29, 2022, the LVPC notes that the applicant amended this formally approved warehouse plan to submit the current plans to the township as a data center land use in order to get ahead of the township's zoning ordinance amendment regulating data center land uses, which LVPC reviewed last month,” Seitz said.
“The township's data center ordinance amendment does not permit data centers in the subject location. Due to the haste with which the plans were submitted, they did not include essential information that is expected with a hyperscale data center submission.”
Seitz said there were numerous concerns that could be addressed in the review process with the township, the applicant, and external review agencies.
Those include a need for a professional noise study, a building design that minimizes impacts on neighboring properties and specified land uses on the plans.
Also, details regarding nighttime lighting, assessments on heat exhaust from the facility, and detailed facility information for local emergency services.
Abundance of environmental concerns
Director of Environmental Planning Susan Myerov expanded on the missing information, covering a litany of environmental and infrastructure commentary.
“The submission does not provide sufficient information to evaluate the project's full electrical demand or its long-term impacts on the regional power grid," Myerov said.
"The applicant should clarify the total projected electrical load at full build out and demonstrate coordination with PPL to confirm that the existing grid can reliably accommodate this load without degrading service to current residential or commercial users.”
Myerov also said the applicant should get a confirmation from PPL whether upgrades would be needed, and how they could be funded.
Myerov also said more detail is needed on how the facility will align with industry energy efficiency standards, the proportion of the energy use that will be met via renewable resources.
Also, details on the number, size and type of backup generators at the site.
“The LVPC notes that the submitted plans indicated intent to be served by public sewer and water,” Myerov said.
“However, in coordination with Lehigh County Authority, or LCA, the authority has not been approached to determine if capacity is available.”
A hot-button issue
Concerns over data centers using public utilities and putting undue burden on local residents and businesses have been a hot-button concern.
That's especially true when they are reliant on cooling technology — the details of which were not included in the Cetronia proposal.
“The developer should identify the specific cooling technology proposed, whether air cooled, water cooled evaporative or hybrid," Myerov said.
"As each has significantly different implications for water use and infrastructure needs."
Transportation-related concerns were not nearly as prevalent as they were when the project was intended to be a warehouse.
But Seitz said the plan could be re-evaluated for adequate transportation access and movement, impervious surfaces, electrical vehicle charging stations, sidewalks, bike parking and improved public transportation access.
‘A plan that lacks sufficient detail’
Following the review, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Becky Bradley explained a potential reason why the plan appeared to be missing so much vital information.
“Last month, the commission reviewed the Upper Macungie Township data center ordinance amendment,” Bradley said.
“I don't think this developer really knows what they are going to do here, and I don't know if you can build a data center on speculation."LVPC Northampton County Commissioner John Gallagher
“Because of the timing of that amendment, it would seem practical and the process under the state law for that, that the developer in this case may have not wanted to have to comply with all those provisions.
"Should that amendment to the township codes be adopted, it may be the reason why we're seeing a plan that lacks sufficient detail to make an educated determination on many of the questions that you would typically ask for land use of this type and size and scale.”
LVPC Northampton County Commissioner John Gallagher called the plan a “spaghetti-on-the-wall proposal,” an apparent reference to the adage about throwing out things to see what sticks.
“I don't think this developer really knows what they are going to do here, and I don't know if you can build a data center on speculation," Gallagher said.
"But it's the same kind of thing we saw with warehouses, and continue to see with warehouses.
“But there's clearly not enough information here to do an adequate review.”
A potential military target?
LVPC Northampton County Chairman Christopher Amato commended the commission for its thorough staff letter, which will be sent to the full commission for its Thursday meeting.
The letter listed the aforementioned concerns, though Amato said he felt one thing was missing.
“[I]f you look at anything written by the Foreign Policy Research Institute, these are considered national defense assets in some capacity,” he said.
“So in effect, this is a military target right in the middle of a populated area, and that will depend upon its use, of course.
"But a hyperscale data center, in many instances, is a military target, and in this case, in a populated area. And that's terrifying. That terrifies this kid of the '80s.”
By contrast, an application concerning the Atlas Industrial hyperscale data center, intended for South Whitehall Township, was described by Seitz as “a much more complete submission compared to the ones that we just reviewed for the Cetronia Road data center.”
That application is under review, Seitz said.
