[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6499813,"mediaKeyId","5565100-0e074563ea882abd0c6c9b546e804d3f","parentId",5565100,"title","Council approves 99-year ground lease with Partners for Environmental Stewardship for Sunnyside environmental center","audioSeconds",418,"startMs",2840000,"endMs",3258000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5565100-0e074563ea882abd0c6c9b546e804d3f&start=2840&end=3258","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5565100-0e074563ea882abd0c6c9b546e804d3f/thumbnail_2840000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6499813/Lancaster-City/Lancaster-County/Pennsylvania/Council-approves-99-year-ground-lease-with-Partners-for-Environmental-Stewardship-for-Sunnyside-environmental-center","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499813-3b4f71db3e623ab3a332eba7e212ba87/orig.mp4?Expires=1773646396&Signature=LZMcqP~52czkE~3MxF219BRUmS5PKij4k-cp7HG0rofdxj68QRnDcRG9l7xxRZdeJHjuYUtE-mtxwOw8wshCv36QMUvcPf1IsR~6HGle4V3-W2soVhGTHuPY4ufpdwGGZsL2ry67~kjBREJ1AE32eAjGVdoU9o6rnp27R6ERS8HBS~cw-hF4rxHDSyPRq7S9zWEszhVf3i8sf~5pjTLOIWInQBFMVKuUAxSNSKEi47Bll9XtXc3V45gn-iXn~e0vGj5z3apg4VcZsvW98vNvXP-55A2YYEciJSMdXjYvDKBCv3T5XatvZkhlC2MnDLKd9VdaKFKJaKl3OsatxYMYhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lancaster, PA","date","2025-08-12T22:04:51Z","article","Lancaster City Council on Aug. 12 approved a resolution authorizing city officials to enter into a 99-year ground lease with Partners for Environmental Stewardship (PES) to develop an environmental center and nature preserve on the Sunnyside Peninsula.

Councilors said the project implements goals from the city’s 2023 comprehensive plan by expanding public access to the Conestoga River, creating environmental-education programming and restoring habitat on nearly 9 acres of city-owned land. PES will design and build the center; the city will retain ownership of the underlying land and maintain responsibilities for portions of the preserve.

Councilor Craig, who chairs Community Planning, said the action before council followed a conditional award to PES in January 2024 and a request-for-proposals process that began in November 2023. Under the terms discussed in committee and summarized to council, PES will be responsible for all project construction costs and program operations; the ground lease will formalize a long-term partnership and allow PES to seek permits and fundraise to build the center.

Director of Planning and Economic Development Troy Delphs told council the project team and PES had developed a master-plan process. Delphs said PES had hired a consultant team and is coordinating with the city to prepare a master plan for the surrounding preserve. “This has been a long time in the making,” Delphs said. “The Preserve and the Environmental Center are really intended to serve as foundational community assets for generations to come.”

Diana Martin, executive director of Partners for Environmental Stewardship and a Lancaster resident, said PES and seven local environmental nonprofits have signed on to participate in programming and that the site hosts substantial wildlife: “There’s 89 unique bird species we’ve identified out on Sunnyside,” Martin said. She described plans for environmental education, green-job training and public guided hikes.

The ground lease resolution passed on an 8-0 voice vote.

Votes at a glance (actions taken Aug. 12):
- Resolution 50-2025: Authorize ground lease agreement with Partners for Environmental Stewardship for Sunnyside environmental center — approved, vote 8–0.
- Resolution 54-2025: Approve updated memorandum of understanding between the Lancaster County Conservation District and the City of Lancaster — approved, vote 8–0. Changes were administrative (application timelines and online document access); municipal responsibilities unchanged.
- Resolution 55-2025: Grant projection easement to Lancaster Parking Authority for North Prince Street project — approved, vote 8–0; project will retrofit former office space into commercial space and includes an above-sidewalk projection easement with an 8-foot clearance noted in committee.
- Historic-district application (134 North Mary Street): Install exterior spiral staircase on second-story rear porch — approved, vote 8–0.
- Nominations and appointments (multiple boards and authorities): Approved, vote 8–0.

Council discussion focused on community benefits and how the center will connect to surrounding neighborhoods. Councilor Royal said a recent public guided hike showed the peninsula’s potential to bring community members to an underused area of the city. Councilors emphasized that PES would design the building to green-building standards and that a master plan for the preserve would guide trails, habitat restoration and future programming.

Clarifying details provided to council included: the lease term (99 years), the site size (nearly 9 acres), that PES will bear construction costs, and that the lease allows the city to retain ownership of the land while granting PES development rights. The council packet and the solicitor’s office negotiated the agreement; outside counsel attended the committee briefing and the solicitor spoke to council in committee.

Councilors and residents asked about neighborhood impacts and protections; PES and city staff said community engagement and reporting mechanisms were part of the planning process. PES invited the public to participate in guided hikes and forthcoming master-plan meetings. The resolution and accompanying agreements now permit PES to proceed with design, permitting and fundraising.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - August 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lancaster City Council authorized a ground lease and related agreements to allow Partners for Environmental Stewardship (PES) to design and build an environmental center and nature preserve on the Sunnyside Peninsula; council also approved routine conservation-district MOU and a projection easement for a parking project.","taxTitle","Lancaster City, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania","taxId",3754,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6499817,"Residents urge Lancaster City Council to curb AI data centers over noise, air, water and equity concerns",1293,820000,2113000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5565100-0e074563ea882abd0c6c9b546e804d3f&start=820&end=2113","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5565100-0e074563ea882abd0c6c9b546e804d3f/thumbnail_820000.jpg","/articles/6499817/Lancaster-City/Lancaster-County/Pennsylvania/Residents-urge-Lancaster-City-Council-to-curb-AI-data-centers-over-noise-air-water-and-equity-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499817-14f3849fa4510f3937968f626a2f2c60/orig.mp4?Expires=1773646396&Signature=YGrZ8zhUWZ2Ahl-IqGa7~fd5ynlxeQqxFaAt7GoDuT7qIRD2D0vVrwiNK0~K2AnrHET8LanaVT5NxKuCGOv~9dgkiU0dtEumUdOUcX5W0jWWPaptS1~4sxFf2ALG3TXWZLGU0~2tSJ~csgOCkegnz~Dxuwh3CSyX~sOGxc5ey2csn3yAR8IYL2qBFq9vP4qFv9ey9W9kbrKC2iGM5jnQM9UH9pjU3Q9~yUy6QIanUFlxBqYCdJ-U1MXKIn37z59yNOn6oOX73VlHYoNxqBR14dXNeJ5vJVpxWk-C3qdgjyFyhpNuVs9NBusDVxbq~14zeED5WOrGeTIMmxL1rsKbZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Lancaster City residents told the City Council on Aug. 12 that proposed AI data centers at Greenfield Road and Harrisburg Pike could harm air and water quality, raise utility costs and disproportionately burden Black and low-income neighborhoods.

The speakers — who addressed council during the meeting’s public-comment periods — asked for independent environmental reviews, tighter zoning or a new data-center category, enforceable community benefits and transparent public hearings that include residents rather than only corporate representatives.

The concerns centered on three recurring themes: local health and environmental effects, strain on the electric grid and transparency in how the projects were permitted. Resident Jontell Toland said she and others want to know whether “any independent third-party environmental impact studies” exist and “where can the public access it?” She asked the council to commit to town-hall–style public meetings where residents can ask questions without corporate PR teams controlling the format.

Multiple speakers cited diesel backup generators, noise and water use as specific risks. Resident Alexander King cited news reports and community accounts he said showed diesel backup generators can degrade air quality and that air-cooled facilities can still be noisy: “Inside a data center, it can be 95 decibels or higher,” he said, comparing potential continuous outdoor noise to highway traffic at night. Patricia Ackman said the Greenfield Road site “has 70-plus diesel generators” reported in news coverage and asked whether nearby residents will face reduced water pressure or higher electric bills.

Renewable-energy and utility concerns were raised by Nathan Bishop, who identified himself as a renewable-energy transactions attorney. Bishop told council the planned 100-megawatt facility at 216 Greenfield Road would include diesel backup generation and warned that, in the region’s current generation mix, the facility “will lead to a huge increase in greenhouse gas emissions.” He urged the city to coordinate with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and PJM Interconnection — the regional grid operator — to review agreements with the developer and to require co-located solar-plus-storage paid for by the developer.

Several speakers asked council to revisit a zoning decision that classed one site as “wholesale trade/storage” (a warehouse), a classification they say allowed the project to avoid greater public scrutiny. Dan Weigel read a petition and urged council to “request from the planning commission an ordinance that covers the zoning of data centers and rescind the zoning officer’s decision to zone the Harrisburg Pike and Greenfield Road data centers as wholesale trade.” Others called on the council to place a moratorium on further permits until an ordinance or clearer rules are in place.

Speakers also raised equity and enforcement questions: Shauna Yorty and others framed the issue as one of long-term community health and asked how the city will protect vulnerable residents such as those with asthma. Lindsay Fitting said residents elsewhere have seen steep increases in household electricity bills after data centers began operating. Several speakers asked how the city will enforce limits on generator operation and whether companies will self-report noise, emissions and generator run-time.

Council members and the mayor told the audience they hear the concerns and that some matters — notably electricity rates and regional grid reliability — fall outside city control. Mayor Danene Sorace said the administration is pursuing more information from utilities and state regulators and is exploring an environmental-impact assessment to answer broader questions about power, air and water. “I hear you,” she said, and added that the city is trying to get answers from PPL and other state entities.

Several residents praised recent action by the Planning Commission: Sarah Eder Hinojosa noted that the commission scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 1 and said the commission was engaging with the possibility of creating a new zoning category for data centers. Some public speakers asked council to use permit revenue for affordable housing or to secure enforceable community benefits that would require renewable energy, local job training and protections against water- or noise-related harms.

Other commenters urged faster, clearer municipal action. Jennifer Seigel (who uses the public name Coral Wright) said CoreWeave and other developers were already advertising both sites for clients and urged council to “start the ordinance work now.” Frank Arcolio, a longtime resident, asked for transparency about when city officials and the administration first discussed the projects and urged councilors running for mayor to publicly differentiate themselves if they oppose the projects.

Councilors and the mayor promised follow-up: Council staff said the city is commissioning independent reviews of noise studies and other environmental impacts “that are within our power to control,” and Council President said the city will update residents through the FAQ page and regular meetings as more information becomes available. But residents repeated calls for a public, enforceable strategy — zoning rules, tighter noise ordinances and binding community benefits — before more permitting or construction proceeds.

Votes were not taken on data-center policy during the Aug. 12 council meeting. Public comments on the issue extended across the meeting’s two public-comment periods and prompted multiple council members to request further information and analysis.","Dozens of residents told Lancaster City Council that proposed AI data centers at Greenfield Road and Harrisburg Pike risk noise, air and water harms, higher utility bills and unequal impacts on Black and low-income neighborhoods; speakers called for zoning changes, independent studies and community input.","actionData","errors"]

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Council approves 99-year ground lease with Partners for Environmental Stewardship for Sunnyside environmental center

Residents urge Lancaster City Council to curb AI data centers over noise, air, water and equity concerns