Ransom Township municipal leaders are advancing a comprehensive update to local zoning laws to address the growing regional interest in data center construction. During a Tuesday public hearing, local officials presented a detailed regulatory framework designed to establish enforceable standards for future technological and industrial facilities within the municipality.
The meeting drew approximately 40 attendees, many of whom expressed mixed reactions regarding the prospective development. While community members widely commended the Ransom Township Board of Supervisors for proactively drafting regulations, several residents voiced lingering apprehensions about resource consumption and expressed a desire to prevent future projects from altering the rural landscape entirely.
A central theme of public questioning revolved around the intense resource demands associated with computing infrastructure. Residents pressed township officials on how the proposed rules would govern utility usage, focusing heavily on water extraction and the immense electrical demands required to power and cool such operations.
Township resident Cheryl Macheska raised inquiries concerning whether the draft guidelines would encompass power-generating facilities. In her remarks, she highlighted an expansive 1,300-acre venture proposed by Renewable Energy Aggregators Inc., a company operating out of Pittston, Pennsylvania, and Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. That multi-jurisdictional initiative spans Ransom Township, Old Forge, and Duryea, and includes plans for a power plant and two substantial reservoirs.
Under that specific energy proposal, a lower reservoir is slated for construction along the Lackawanna River at the border of Old Forge and Duryea, while an upper reservoir would be situated in Ransom Township above Austin Heights at an approximate elevation of 1,500 feet. The two water bodies would be linked through a network of subterranean piping.
Addressing these utility concerns, Township Solicitor William Rinaldi stated that the draft ordinance explicitly obligates prospective developers to disclose their intended sources for power and water. However, Rinaldi noted the township's regulatory limitations, explaining that dam oversight remains outside local municipal control and falls under the direct authority of the federal government.
The draft ordinance received favorable feedback from resident Marc Bozzacco, who commended the supervisors for crafting a document that directly incorporates local resident feedback. Bozzacco observed that after reviewing various data center ordinances across the state of Pennsylvania, he considered the township’s version to be among the most comprehensive and well-formulated policies currently drafted.
Regional neighbors also attended the proceedings to observe the township's strategy. Duryea resident Jane D'Alessandro stated that she attended the session to see how surrounding municipalities are shielding their communities against rapid industrialization, while Mike Rusinko of Scranton sought clarification on who retains the legal power to evaluate applicant compliance. Rinaldi confirmed that the Board of Supervisors holds the legal authority to determine the reasonableness of any submitted proposal.
Under the 40-page draft ordinance, which was formally reviewed by the Lackawanna County Planning Commission, data centers will be categorized strictly as conditional uses. This classification ensures that projects can only move forward if developers satisfy specific township prerequisites and secure formal board approval before breaking ground.
The ordinance restricts data center construction to designated general commercial/manufacturing and heavy manufacturing zones. These permitted areas are located along the southeastern edge of the township bordering Taylor and along the southwestern boundary near the Susquehanna River. In these zones, data center structures would be capped at a maximum height of 40 feet and restricted to an eight-acre lot size.
Furthermore, the measure introduces an array of technical mandates aimed at mitigating neighborhood impact. It outlines binding standards for landscape buffering, perimeter fencing, wastewater handling, emissions, air quality, lighting, parking, glare, and odor. It also incorporates specific safety guidelines regarding noise levels, mechanical vibration, and the on-site containment of backup batteries and fuel supplies.
Municipal officials stressed that the ordinance represents a realistic strategy within the boundaries of state land-use statutes. Under Pennsylvania law, municipalities cannot enforce total bans on lawful land uses without leaving themselves vulnerable to exclusionary zoning challenges in court. Supervisor Robert Wells explained that while local government cannot flatly turn away developers without legal cause, the township possesses the clear authority to establish rigorous guidelines to direct where and how developments occur.
Solicitor Rinaldi explained that the specialized nature of modern data centers—characterized by continuous around-the-clock operations, industrial-grade cooling apparatuses, and bank after bank of backup generators—required a modern zoning overhaul. Because these facilities were largely unprecedented when the township last completed a major zoning review three years ago, the new ordinance is designed to overlay existing codes and close critical regulatory gaps.
The township's legislative push comes nearly a year after Scranton Materials LLC submitted the municipality's first major data center concept for its 251-acre quarry site at 819 Newton Road. In November, the firm submitted a curative amendment challenging the validity of the existing zoning code in an attempt to construct six data centers, each encompassing a footprint of 156,648 square feet.
The Board of Supervisors ultimately dismissed the company's curative amendment in January, citing an absence of sufficient supporting testimony and evidentiary backing. Scranton Materials appealed the denial and subsequently filed a second ongoing lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment against the municipality. Additionally, a Lackawanna County judge issued a ruling in July determining that a Scranton resident possessed the legal standing to challenge the quarry development plans despite living outside Ransom Township boundaries.
For longtime residents like Macheska, who has lived in Ransom Township for more than five decades, the current zoning update is a crucial defense that was missing during previous developer applications. The township's regulatory update also coincides with heightened corporate land interest in the area, including a recent $2.4 million real estate transaction by Carbon County-based Mudiita Land Venture LLC to secure 528.6 acres of land south of the municipality.
(0)