To the surprise of all in attendance, Upper Hanover solicitor Zac Sivertsen reported on a new option presented by Hanover Development LP, the developers of the data center project, at the Upper Hanover Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, August 11, at the Upper Perkiomen Middle School.

            Sivertsen said that he and Township manager Anne Klepfer had met with the developer's representatives on July 23. During that meeting, the developer presented a very preliminary plan for a residential property on the site of the proposed data center.

            The plan, for five dwellings per acre on the 37-acre tract, which would result in 163 stacked townhouses, was met with groans from the audience. Sivertsen noted that he thought the feedback from the board would be that the proposal is for more density than it would want.

            The turn of events brought many residents in the large crowd to the podium to comment. Board chair Steve Rothenberger limited the comments to Upper Hanover taxpayers only.

            The proposal not only came with the density that the supervisors would not find desirable, but with other strings attached regarding the conditional use hearing for the data center application scheduled for October.

            Sivertsen said that the developer told him and Klepfer that a third party was involved with the data center project, and if the supervisors moved forward with the October hearing, Hanover Development would sell the property to this third party, and the residential option would be off the table.

            For the residential option, the developer wanted to postpone the hearing until January.

            The vagueness of the proposed plan and the wait involved was a cause of concern to both the board and the audience.

            "I don't want to give them until January for them to decide when they are going to give us a plan to look at," Supervisor Ben Fiorito said.

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

            The residential option would require a change in zoning from light industrial to R-3, multi-family residential.

            Sivertsen was asked to request that the developer come to the board's September meeting.

            The supervisors met in executive session to discuss litigation and a real estate matter.