Would You Take a $10,000 Check to Let a Data Center Into Your Backyard? This Town Isn’t Buying It.
When a developer offered every household in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, $10,000 to approve a data center, many locals smelled a rat.
Developers racing to build AI data centers are getting creative. NorthPoint Development told every one of the 4,500 households in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, that each will get a $10,000 check if the town lets it build a data center, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The $45 million payout is part of a 15-building project on 1,300 acres in the Pocono foothills, on top of $120 million NorthPoint plans to spend on community investments over 15 years. The developer’s letters said residents could spend it on “really whatever you want.”
But many locals aren’t buying what they’re selling. Jeff Fasnacht, a retired teacher who lives near the site, said the check won’t make up for the hit to his home because “it’s going to tank my property value.” Others worry about construction noise and a lack of transparency, and some see the offer as a bribe. Still, the cash is tempting in a town with a median household income around $60,000. In nearby Salem Township, families made millions selling their land to data centers.
The project’s fate is uncertain. The township rejected it on zoning grounds, NorthPoint sued and a temporary moratorium on data-center construction is now in place.
Developers racing to build AI data centers are getting creative. NorthPoint Development told every one of the 4,500 households in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, that each will get a $10,000 check if the town lets it build a data center, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The $45 million payout is part of a 15-building project on 1,300 acres in the Pocono foothills, on top of $120 million NorthPoint plans to spend on community investments over 15 years. The developer’s letters said residents could spend it on “really whatever you want.”
But many locals aren’t buying what they’re selling. Jeff Fasnacht, a retired teacher who lives near the site, said the check won’t make up for the hit to his home because “it’s going to tank my property value.” Others worry about construction noise and a lack of transparency, and some see the offer as a bribe. Still, the cash is tempting in a town with a median household income around $60,000. In nearby Salem Township, families made millions selling their land to data centers.
The project’s fate is uncertain. The township rejected it on zoning grounds, NorthPoint sued and a temporary moratorium on data-center construction is now in place.
