Residents urge Parkland board to scrutinize data-center proposal near high school

Several residents urged the board to track the proposed Atlas data center development directly across from Parkland High School and to consider potential impacts on student safety and learning. Greg Susman, a district resident, told the board he had not seen the preliminary plans and raised specific concerns about construction and ongoing operations. “It’s going to generate in excess of 600 round trips for heavy vehicle traffic on Cedar Crest Boulevard,” Susman said, warning this would overlap with school arrival and dismissal times.

Susman also described operational concerns: “The current proposal calls for 356 diesel generators to be placed on the facility site…these generators require up to 2 hours of operation per week for maintenance,” he said, adding that even limited test cycles and continuous HVAC noise could disrupt classrooms. Other commenters disputed some claims and emphasized regulatory reviews, but the board acknowledged it would “keep a very close eye” on the project and seek information from the township and developer as plans progress.

Why it matters: the proposed site is commercially zoned and developers and regulators will review permitting, but residents argued the scale of construction, heavy-vehicle traffic and continuous mechanical systems could affect the nearby high school’s learning environment and neighborhood traffic patterns. The board said it would monitor the project and coordinate with township officials as it evolves.