A highly anticipated public hearing for the "Archbald I LLC" data center campus was abruptly canceled on Monday night, just minutes before it was scheduled to begin at Valley View High School. The cancellation was attributed to a procedural error involving the mandatory public notice, which was not properly advertised in the Scranton Times-Tribune as required by state law. Borough officials expressed frustration, noting that they had submitted the notice earlier this month and received a confirmation of receipt. Despite the last-minute cancellation, more than 100 residents still gathered at the school, many sporting "No Data Centers" signs and expressing deep-seated concerns over the scale of the proposed industrial project.
The hearing was intended to be the second conditional use session for the Archbald I LLC project, which is one of the largest among the six campuses currently proposed for the borough. The master plan for this specific development features as many as 18 two-story buildings, each reaching heights of 90 feet and covering over 150,000 square feet. Located on roughly 400 acres near Staback Park, the site plan also includes nearly 30 emergency diesel generators for each building to maintain operations during power outages. Residents have raised alarms about the environmental impact of these generators and the massive water and electricity demands of the campus, which would be situated in close proximity to residential areas and local schools.
