Washingtonville, Pa. — A hearing on the proposed rezoning of acreage in northern Montour County has been rescheduled and is slated for next month.
The rezoning request, made by Talen Energy to transform the land use from agricultural to industrial, will no longer include 25 acres in Derry Township, officials announced Thursday.
An email from Erich Schock, Talen's attorney, to the Derry Township Board of Supervisors and the Northern Regional Planning Commission, indicated that the request for rezoning the 25 acres was being withdrawn and a public hearing would not be required. Talen will move forward with its request for rezoning 870 acres in adjacent Anthony Township for industrial use.
Talen Energy and local officials have acknowledged that, should that property be rezoned, it would likely be used for the construction of multiple data centers and electrical generators necessary to power them. A legislative hearing before Montour County Commissioners on the Anthony Township acreage initially set for Dec. 17 was postponed and is now scheduled for Jan. 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 12 Brookside Drive, Danville.
The hearing will include comments from the Montour County Planning Commission, Anthony Township Supervisors, Representatives of Talen Energy and the public, according to its agenda.
The notice reminds residents that the meeting may conclude earlier than 4:30 p.m and encourages them to arrive earlier in the day.
Written comments on the matter are to be forwarded to the commissioners' office, Montour County Administration Center, 435 E. Front St., Danville, PA 17821 and must be received on or before Jan. 16.
The hearing notice concluded, "This hearing constitutes the opportunity for public comment on the pending rezoning petition. Consequently, there will be no additional public comment on this topic at the Commissioners’ meeting where the vote is taken."
Talen requests hearing postponement
The Dec. 17 hearing was postponed at the request of Talen Energy. It came after a contentious Montour County zoning board hearing on Nov. 19, during which the board failed to recommend the rezoning of 870 acres from agricultural and public/semi-public to industrial in a divided vote.
Over 300 people filled Montour County's Administrative Center, providing comments from dozens of area residents in a meeting that lasted over three hours. During that meeting, residents expressed concern over water runoff, the cost of electricity, loss of farmland, pollution, and aesthetics of the area.
In spite of the county zoning board's failure to recommend the change in zoning designation, the matter will move forward to come before commissioners. The January hearing is the next step in the process during which Talen Energy and interested parties will have opportunities to testify before the commissioners.
Following the hearing, commissioners will have 60 days to make a decision on the rezoning.