From PhillyVoice · · 2m
Data Center Developer Offers $10,000 Payments to Poconos Residents
NorthPoint Development promises $10,000 checks to 4,500 Hazle Township households for data center support.
In brief
NorthPoint Development promises $10,000 checks to 4,500 Hazle Township households for data center support. NorthPoint Development offers $10,000 per household to Hazle Township residents to gain approval for a 15-building data center campus after local opposition. Originally reported by PhillyVoice.
NorthPoint Development Offers $10,000 Payments
NorthPoint Development, a Missouri company, offers $10,000 checks to 4,500 Hazle Township households for project support.
Project Faces Local Opposition
Hazle Township residents rejected the data center project last fall due to zoning restrictions, prompting NorthPoint to sue and lose.
Six-Month Moratorium on Applications
The township enacted a six-month moratorium on data center applications, ending in January, while updating zoning laws.
NorthPoint's Payment Strategy
NorthPoint sent letters in June offering $10,000 per household to buy support for the proposed 15-building campus on 1,300 acres.
Residents' Concerns About Property Value
Residents worry the data center will tank property values, with one resident saying $10,000 doesn't match potential losses.
National Association of Realtors Study
The National Association of Realtors found counties with data centers have 95% home value growth over ten years versus 64% without data centers.
Local Impact Uncertain
NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun noted county-level data doesn't show individual home impacts from data centers.
NorthPoint's Community Benefits Offer
NorthPoint is offering $120 million over 15 years to fund Hazle Township police and other services.
National Opposition to Data Centers
60% of Americans polled say they wouldn't be comfortable with a data center in their area, including 54% of Republicans.
State-Level Data Center Restrictions
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order limiting data center projects without local and municipal approval.
NorthPoint's Tactic for Support
NorthPoint's chief marketing officer called the payment strategy 'on the cutting edge' to gain community support.
What Happens Next
The project faces continued debate as NorthPoint seeks Hazle Township approval for the data center campus.
The main idea
NorthPoint Development offers $10,000 per household to Hazle Township residents to gain approval for a 15-building data center campus after local opposition.
