Gregg Twp. supervisors have 45 days...

ALLENWOOD — Gregg Township supervisors have 45 days to decide whether to allow data centers in the Commercial Manufacturing Zoning District at the Great Stream Commons industrial park.The board is reviewing an application from PNK Group of New York City for a curative amendment and conditional use approval that would permit data centers in the Commercial Manufacturing Zoning District. Granting PNK's requests would not allow the company to build a data center, but it would allow data centers to be constructed in the township.The fourth public hearing Monday night lasted more than six hours, with two acoustic experts testifying, followed by questions from residents and public comment. The hearing ended at 11:15 p.m. at the Warrior Run Fire Department social hall in Allenwood.Township Solicitor Rick Shoch said supervisors will “ultimately issue findings and a decision with respect to the conditional use application and a decision made in respect to the curative amendment.”The supervisors can adopt the ordinance submitted by PNK or draft and adopt their own ordinance. The supervisors have until Oct. 29, and will approve their decision at a special public meeting in October, Shoch said.PNK is seeking to construct a 252,000-square-foot data center in an existing building at 198 Enterprise Blvd., Allenwood. Data centers are not listed as a permitted use in the existing ordinances, so the requested curative amendment and conditional use approval would allow PNK to begin the design phase and application process.Two acoustic experts testified Monday: John Michael Spencer, president and principal consultant of JMS Acoustics in Bethlehem, on behalf of the township; and Alex Horecker, an associate vice president and board-certified acoustic consultant with Salas O'Brien in Chicago, on behalf of PNK.Spencer testified that PNK's proposal would have a “significant negative impact” on sound levels because it would produce noise 17 decibels above the township's ambient background level.Horecker testified that his tests showed an average daytime decibel level of 55 and an average nighttime decibel level of 40.Horecker faced criticism from residents when he said only one of four machines was operating during testing in May. Residents also questioned the use of projected noise levels and said they were concerned that additional testing would not occur until later in the application process.“At this stage of the process, the applicant is showing proof of concept that the noise ordinance is feasible to meet,” Horecker said. “That is done with modeling based on representative data from different manufacturing. That is done based on both from a sound mitigation manufacturing and an equipment manufacturing standpoint.”Susan Wajda, of Gregg Township, said it was important for the company to have backup devices.“It doesn't really instill a lot of confidence,” Wajda said.