For the second time this month, the Upper Hanover Board of Supervisors had a large crowd attend its meeting, this one held at the Upper Perkiomen Middle School on Tuesday, July 14.

            Though the proposed data center was not on the agenda for this meeting, Upper Hanover residents and others came to air their thoughts during the public comment period at the end.

            Township solicitor Zach Sivertsen provided background for the conditional use process for the data center developer, Hanover Development LP. He said that the conditional use hearings would be held in September and October, and the planning commission would review the application in August and September.

            The supervisors authorized Joseph C. Kuhls of Kuhls Law, LLC, to serve as special solicitor for the township in the conditional use hearings. Sivertsen noted that Kuhls would function as "the defense attorney for the township."

            During the public comment period, audience members asked about the conditional use process and how they could get party status in the hearing. Sivertsen said that they had to demonstrate that they were aggrieved by the project or that they lived within 500 feet of the project. Another citizen asked about legal representation, and Sivertsen said that she would need to hire her own attorney.

            Individuals asked that the supervisors support them in their efforts to stop the data center, but Sivertsen stated that the board needed to remain impartial during the proceedings and not allow personal feelings or emotions to affect their decision-making.

            A Kutztown Road resident warned the audience, "Stop asking them to show bias. That's bad for us."

            Several neighbors with property adjacent to the project voiced their concerns about the impact on the water supply, home values, and pollution.

            A protest is planned for this Saturday, July 18.

            In regular meeting news, supervisor Ben Fiorito reported that the water line replacement along Route 29 was mostly installed and in service, except for a section at the Hosensack Creek, which requires a permit from the conservation district.

            In new business, Stauffer Glove & Safety requested a 6 a.m. start time on their concrete slab pour days at their new warehouse location. Fiorito said that he opposed the request and stated that the neighbors near the project had endured enough already. The motion failed to get approval from the board.