NorthPoint Development offers Hazle Township $10,000, residents oppose data center
NorthPoint Development, the data center developer behind Project Hazelnut, tried to win over Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, by offering residents $10,000 each to allow a new data center.
Even though the area faces tough economic times (nearly 17% of the township's residents live below the poverty line), locals pushed back, worried about dropping property values and a lengthy stretch of power lines changing their neighborhood.
Hazle residents call $10,000 payout bribe
Many in the community see the proposed $10,000 payout as more of a bribe than a benefit. They're concerned that the short-term money isn't worth the long-term impact on their town.
While Gov. Josh Shapiro has called it a "technology campus" and wants to move things forward, township leaders are finding it hard to get people on board.
The debate highlights growing resistance to tech projects that don't seem to offer enough for local communities.