The plans for a proposed data center in Muncy Township off John Brady Drive.

mmaroney@sungazette.com

pcrossley@sungazette.com

A data center complex has been proposed in Muncy Township and is on a zoning permit application dated April 15 — despite assurances by Muncy Township Supervisor Terri Lauchle later in April that no data center plan had been submitted.

The proposed site plan shows three data center buildings, consisting of two 14-pod facilities and one eight-pod facility, designed to support operations.

The applicant is DANKO Holdings II/Fishlips LLC.

The plan and drawing, obtained by the Sun-Gazette, indicates the property would be known as Muncy Data Center.

The plan indicates several water storage tanks, a water treatment facility and auxiliary structures, all of which may differ in actual size or dimensions as shown on the plan.

It would be near the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, accessed off John Brady Drive, with the legend on the site plan indicating residential border, proposed buildings and proposed pavement.

Existing information and features shown on the site plan were taken from a survey prepared by Glenn O. Hawbaker Engineering. Livic Civil of Bloomsburg also is listed on the site plan.

Data centers are a centralized physical or virtual place used to house, power, and maintain information technology infrastructure.

These mission-critical facilities support global cloud services, artificial intelligence, and telecommunications by providing the immense computing, storage, and networking required to manage data used in everyday life and work.

A township source said that the zoning permit application was in the backroom of the township office before the board, consisting of Lauchle and Denise Artley, vice chair, who was on the telephone, approved the moratorium on such data centers.

During a special township board of supervisors meeting on April 28, which included an agenda item calling for the discussion and possible vote on a moratorium on data centers, in a public comment portion of the meeting, township resident and Fire Chief Scott Oldweiler asked the board why data centers were now a “hot topic.”

“Did something get submitted, or why are we talking about data centers?” he asked Lauchle. “Just to be prepared,” Lauchle replied.

Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss was not at the meeting.

Oldweiler then asked the board, point blank: “But there’s been no application so far?”

Lauchle shook her head and said, “No.”

Lauchle and Artley in that special meeting voted to pass a resolution for a nine-month moratorium on data centers or until the township would have zoning regulations in place for them.

Also, at that special meeting, Joseph F. Orso III, who has since resigned as solicitor, after the vote further explained the reasoning behind the moratorium.

“There’s nothing in the zoning regulations about data centers. As it stands, right now, anything would then come to the township supervisor. They would apply conditions. There’s no guidance.”

Orso continued, “So, it was determined by the supervisors – let’s get some rules so everybody knows what we’re dealing with in the event there’s a data center application,” he said.

A question on applications for data centers also came up to the township through a citizen’s inquiry, a woman who asked the township by filing a Right-to-Know request if there were any data center zoning permit applications that were submitted between Jan. 1 and April 26.

Kathryn Harper, secretary and current acting open records officer for Muncy Township, said upon receipt of the April 29, request submitted by a citizen, she looked for an answer to the question.

“I conducted a good-faith search of township records reasonably calculated to locate responsive records within the possession, custody, or control of Muncy Township,” Harper wrote.

“The request sought copies of any zoning applications, including requests for preliminary opinion, received by the Township, or its representative agencies for data center or data centers between Jan. 1, 2026, and April 26, 2026,” Harper stated.

“As part of the township’s search, I received township administrative files, correspondence, and records maintained relating to zoning submissions and applications during the requested timeframe,” she stated.

“Based upon the township’s search, no responsive zoning applications or requests for preliminary opinion for data center or data centers were located for the time period identified in the request,” she stated.

Accordingly, the Township responded that there were no applications between the dates listed in the request, Harper stated.

Harper also sent written correspondence to DANKO Holdings II/Fishlips LLC that was copied to Lauchle, Artley, Ohnmeiss and Joe Lyons, township zoning officer, dated April 22.

It stated: “Please be advised that any plans or applications must be submitted through the township’s designated administrative intake process.

“Materials provided informally to individual township officials do not constitute an official submission and will not be accepted for review or processing.

“All future submissions must be directed through the township secretary’s office to ensure proper documentation, logging, and compliance with township procedures.”

DANKO Holdings II is a real estate holding company that owns multiple commercial real estate properties.

As part of The Liberty Group, DANKO Holdings invests in, acquires, develops and manages local properties of all types, including business and office space and vacation properties.

Investments provide a variety of offerings to enhance the communities in which it operates in order to attract new businesses and promote economic growth, according to the company website.

Attempts to reach the development firm’s spokesperson Monday were not immediately successful, though a company spokeswoman was given a message about the Sun-Gazette pursuing this story.