Carbon County planning panel rejects preliminary plan for 619,000‑square‑foot data‑center campus

The Carbon County Planning Commission on March 17 voted to conditionally reject the preliminary land‑development plan for the proposed Carbon Node East data‑center campus. Staff review described the project as a 103.95‑acre site with four data‑center buildings totaling 619,000 square feet, two substations, equipment yards and paved access drives; staff said the submission left multiple required items unaddressed.

Commission presenter (identified in the record as the reviewer) told the commission that the plan "consists of the construction of 4 data center buildings totaling 619,000 square feet" and requires a sewage facilities planning module exemption or DEP approval for sewer connection, payment of tapping and connection fees, and clear specification of discharge types. The reviewer also flagged the need for an NPDES permit for stormwater discharges and said existing drainage along Industrial Road may be further overloaded by the project unless solutions are proposed.

Staff listed technical and ordinance deficiencies the applicant must address, including: showing underground electric and fiber routes and off‑site construction; providing grading details and the diameter/type of existing storm sewers; labeling Denison Road right‑of‑way limits and edge‑of‑pavement radii; providing details and calculations for nearly 5,000 linear feet of proposed retaining walls; and obtaining required wetlands permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reviewer also noted a required decommissioning agreement and that the applicant had agreed to comply with a new borough zoning ordinance draft on data‑center uses.

After discussion, the chair called for a motion for "conditional plan rejection" based on the identified noncompliance items; the motion was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The chair announced, "Conditional plan rejection is approved." The record does not show a named mover or seconder for the motion.

Why it matters: the project would be a major data‑center campus with significant impervious surface, stormwater and utility demands. The commission's action requires the applicant to resolve the listed technical, permitting and ordinance deficiencies before the plan can be reconsidered, and it signals that the county expects detailed stormwater, utility and decommissioning plans before approval.

Next steps: the commission's review letter and outstanding comments will be provided to the applicant's engineer; the record indicates the plan may be resubmitted after the applicant obtains required permits, completes design calculations and supplies the requested documentation.