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Residents press Potter County commissioners over possible data centers; planning commission outlines tougher land‑use rules
Summary
A packed public‑comment period saw residents warn that proposed data centers could drain water supplies and harm the county's dark‑sky resources. Planning staff said the county is drafting SALDO amendments to require water‑use/discharge plans, stronger setbacks and more transparency, with adoption targeted for Jan. 1, 2027.
Several dozen residents used a three‑minute public‑comment period at the July 9 Potter County commissioners meeting to urge local officials to block or tightly regulate proposals for large data centers they say are being discussed for parts of the county.
"Data centers use massive amounts of water to cool the servers," Steven Richard, reading a letter on behalf of the Genesee Headwaters Watershed Association, told the board. He cautioned that heavy withdrawals and warmer discharge water could "exhaust our springs, aquifers and streams" and harm the area's cold‑water fisheries and the Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park.
Officials said no formal applications or developer contacts have been filed with the county planning commission. The chair told attendees the planning commission is the first point of contact for any development and urged residents that "they're not gonna come in and do an application today and start putting up a data center tomorrow." The chair also addressed social‑media rumors and denied personal conflicts, saying "absolutely none" when asked whether commissioners had signed nondisclosure agreements or taken money related to data‑center proposals.
Planning commission representative Will said the commission's high‑impact land‑development committee is preparing amendments to the county's subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO) to address projects that exceed thresholds such as building footprint, electricity consumption and developed acreage. "One of the proposed changes is that the approval process for these high‑impact land developments may look different than it currently does," Will told the meeting, describing proposals that would require more detailed submissions, a possible preapplication review, stronger setbacks and a requirement for a water‑consumption and discharge plan.
Will said the committee is also considering measures to protect private wells and community recharge areas — including baseline sampling and buffers — but cautioned that some actions may require state involvement or DEP approval. He said a closed‑loop or air‑based cooling system would be encouraged to reduce groundwater impacts.
Township officials and residents said some local townships have already moved to adopt ordinances restricting certain development types. Speakers urged more proactive outreach and suggested mobilizing voters and attending public hearings to press developers during application reviews. Several residents referenced recent large land sales and press reports linking investors to data‑center initiatives in the northern tier.
The planning office said it will host town halls and make draft ordinance language publicly available; Will gave a projected adoption target of before or on Jan. 1, 2027, while stressing that the county must draft rules carefully so they withstand legal challenge.
The commissioners did not vote on any new land‑use restrictions at the meeting. They and planning staff encouraged residents to attend upcoming planning commission sessions and public hearings when and if applications are filed.
