As local residents are organizing, meeting, fundraising, and planning their defense against a proposed data center in Upper Hanover Township, a fly has turned up in the ointment.

            It was announced at Tuesday night's meeting of the board of supervisors that instead of a data center on the Gravel Pike property, perhaps 163 stacked townhouses would be more palatable to the residents and local government.

            Of course, that would require a zoning change from light industrial to residential (R-3).

As one township resident commented, "To use the data center as a threat for leverage seems improper."

The township solicitor noted that he thought the density would be a problem for the supervisors.  He was right.

            And now there is reportedly a third party involved with the data center project and if the supervisors moved forward with the conditional use hearing in October for the data center, the current owners would sell the property to the third party and the residential option would be off the table.  The developer wants to postpone the hearing until January.

            I'm assuming that's because no plan has been submitted yet.

            I don't blame the township officials for not committing to anything at this time.  Who knows, it could change again before January.

            One can't help but wonder that giving the township a choice between a data center or 163 stacked townhouses wasn't a thought from the beginning.

            Scare the community into the fear of a data center and hope that a high-density housing development would be welcomed instead, with conditions.

            Hopefully the developer will attend the September meeting of township officials and offer some answers.