Save Carbon County plans to hold a meeting to organize volunteers concerning the data center proposed in Lower Towamensing Township.

The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Palmerton Area Library, Gallery Room to organize leafleting to get the word out about the upcoming public hearing and to organize speakers for the public hearing.

Save Carbon County said the meeting is not a public hearing to voice opposition to the data center proposal, but rather an opportunity to organize the community, schedule actions, and identify speakers for the public hearing.

Linda Christman, president, Save Carbon County, explained the purpose of Thursday’s gathering is “for people who want to be involved to volunteer to battle this data center.”

“What we are going to talk about are strategies that we can use to delay the data center process, to obtain the strongest possible data center ordinance, and how to give public testimony,” Christman said. “To be successful, this effort needs leadership from Lower Towamensing Township, and we hope to be able to organize that at the meeting.”

The proposed data center developers are the owners of the Alliance Sand Quarry, which is DTA Alliance LLC, and Murphy’s Meadow LLC. Dan Connor, operations manager for DTA Alliance, said that Murphy’s Meadow is owned by DT Allen Contracting in New Jersey, and that 368 acres are under contract, including the Blue Shamrock Golf Course.

Efforts to reach Dan Connor, operations manager for DTA Alliance, were unsuccessful in time for today’s publication.

The proposal in Lower Towamensing calls for 13 data center buildings and a possible power generation building off Fireline Road, at the sites of Blue Shamrock Golf Course and DTA Alliance LLC, 415 Golf Road. Development is expected over 700 acres.

The buildings range in size as follows: Building A: 162,500 square feet; Building B, $650,000 square feet; Building C, 500,000 square feet; Building D, 125,000 square feet; Building E, 500,000 square feet; Buildings F, G, H, & I 125,000 square feet; Building J: 400,000 square feet; Buildings K and L, 500,000 square feet; Building M: 300,000 square feet; and Building N: 420,000 square feet.

The challenge to the zoning ordinance was filed Sept. 1. The township’s board of supervisors has 60 calendar days from that date to conduct a public hearing.

A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Company.

About 20 people attended the Sept. 10 township planning commission meeting to discuss the curative amendment filed Sept. 1, many of whom expressed concerns about water, noise and property values.

The property owners filed the curative amendment to challenge the township’s zoning ordinance, alleging it is defective because it fails to provide for data center use anywhere in the municipality.

The amendment proposes allowing data centers as a permitted use within an overlay district encompassing the Resort & Recreation and Rural Conservation zoning districts.

At a special meeting earlier this month, Lower Towamensing Township appointed legal counsel for a challenge to the validity of the zoning ordinance filed by DTA Alliance LLC.

Graham Simmons III, of Norris McLaughlin PA, was hired at the rate of $275 per hour for associates and $325 per hour for partners.