NorthPoint Development has offered a one-time payment of $10,000 to each of Hazle Township's roughly 4,500 households if its proposed 15-building, 1,300-acre data center is approved. While the developer also promises about $120 million in community investments over 15 years, many residents remain worried about construction, noise, declines in property values and strains on power and water systems. Township officials rejected the plan last November, NorthPoint has sued, and local zoning changes and a temporary pause on approvals are now underway.
Pennsylvania Township Offered $10,000 Per Household to Approve Massive Data Center — Residents Remain Divided
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NorthPoint Development has told residents of Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, that each of the township's roughly 4,500 households would receive a one-time payment of $10,000 if the developer's proposed data center complex is approved.
The project would include 15 buildings spread across about 1,300 acres in the Pocono foothills, intended to support cloud computing, streaming services and artificial intelligence operations. Data centers are critical infrastructure for the modern internet, but they also bring extended construction, ongoing noise and large demands on local utilities.
In a community with a median household income near $60,000, a $10,000 payment could be meaningful. Still, many residents say the cash offer has not allayed their concerns about long-term impacts on property values, the township's rural character, and local infrastructure.
'$10,000 doesn't match how much it's going to tank my property value,' said Jeff Fasnacht, a retired teacher who lives near the proposed site.
Other residents reacted differently. Charlie Leshko, a former maintenance worker who lives just outside the eligible payment zone, said the payment is appealing: ' $10,000 don't come along every day.' Diana Spallone, a special education teacher, called the money 'nice' but said her main worry is a potential hit to her home's value if a large industrial campus is built nearby.
Beyond immediate quality-of-life concerns, critics point to broader infrastructure and environmental issues associated with large server farms: heavy electricity consumption, strain on local power grids, significant water use for cooling systems, and potential pollution or land-use changes that can alter a rural community.
Township officials rejected NorthPoint's plan on zoning grounds last November, and the developer later filed suit seeking to overturn that denial. While Hazle Township revises its zoning rules, it has temporarily halted approvals for new data-center construction.
NorthPoint says the household payments are only one element of a broader package. Brent Miles, Chief Marketing Officer at NorthPoint, told the Wall Street Journal the firm expects to invest about $120 million over 15 years in local needs, including support for a police department. 'I think we've got something here that's on the cutting edge, really in direct response to "what's in it for me?"' Miles said.
'I think it works the opposite way, because most people have the opinion that, "hey, are they trying to bribe us here?"' said retired homeowner Ed Negra, describing why the offers made him suspicious rather than reassured.
The debate in Hazle Township echoes disputes unfolding across the U.S. as AI-focused data centers expand into rural areas. Recent examples include community pushback in Nodaway County, Missouri; calls from Texas officials for off-grid water and power for such facilities; a proposed pause in Endicott, New York, over energy and water concerns; and rapid buildout in Kern County, California, on former oil fields.
What Happens Next
Hazle Township is revising zoning rules and has paused new data-center approvals while the process continues. Residents, local officials and the developer are likely to remain at odds until local land-use rules, environmental reviews and legal challenges are resolved.
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