Vote On Controversial Montco Data Center Suddenly Halted Monday Night

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, PA — The hotly anticipated vote over the proposed controversial data center plan in Plymouth Township never occurred on Monday night.

After months of anticipation and furor from local residents over the potential water waste, skyrocketing electrical costs, and other impacts of the mysterious project, the developer withdrew their application.

Representatives said that the agreement for the sale of the Cleveland Cliffs steel plant on 900 Conshohocken Road had actually not yet been finalized, meaning that they did not have the legal right to formally move forward with development plans.

It is not known why developers waited until the meeting Monday night to provide that information in person.

See previous coverage: Critical Vote On Data Center In Plymouth Twp. Monday As Tensions Rise

While longtime Conshohocken developer Brian O'Neill is leading the charge for the development, it remains unclear what big tech companies would have hypothetically inhabited the proposed data center.

While the plan is off for now, it likely is not the end of the battle. Assuming the sale of Cleveland Cliffs is indeed finalized, developers could submit a new proposal for the project to the Plymouth Township zoning hearing board. They could also be seeking to delay the project in hopes that pending legislation, House Bill 502, allows them to appeal directly to a state board instead of a township zoning board that must answer to local residents.

The public meeting was packed with local residents protesting the data center. Local group "No Conshy Data Centers" gained more than a thousand signatures on a petition protesting the development. It's also drawn the attention of national nonprofits like The Tech Oversight Project, which launched a billboard and door-to-door campaign in the days leading up to Monday's cancelled vote.

If developers do file for approval with the zoning board again, the proposal is unlikely to be heard until January at the earliest, officials said.