Developer defends Montgomery County data center proposals amid growing opposition
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (WPVI) -- The developer behind two proposed data center projects in Montgomery County says he is committed to moving forward despite escalating community opposition and disputes with local officials.
Brian O'Neill of MLP Ventures is seeking approval for a 4.5 million-square-foot data center campus in King of Prussia and a 2 million-square-foot facility at 900 Conshohocken Road in Plymouth Township.
Both proposals have drawn large crowds at public meetings and vocal opposition from residents who have raised concerns about noise, light pollution, water use and potential impacts on utility costs.
During a one-on-one interview with Action News, O'Neill acknowledged the community resistance but expressed confidence that the projects will ultimately move ahead.
Asked whether he hoped to win public support, O'Neill responded: "In that environment, can I win? No. Will I win legally? Absolutely. And I'll spend whatever it takes to do that because what I'm building is right, and it's right for the community."
Data centers are used to support artificial intelligence, cloud computing, streaming and other digital services. O'Neill said his proposed facilities would use closed-loop water systems, generate their own electricity, create no light pollution and comply with local noise limits. Not all residents are convinced.
"The issue is they don't want to believe. They want to fight for the sake of the fight. Unfortunately, they're being agitated by professionals, and it's creating undue anxiety, tempers, and apprehension," O'Neill said.
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In Plymouth Township, the Township Council recently announced unanimous opposition to the proposal. Council officials have said O'Neill rejected more than 40 proposed safeguards and conditions.
"The applicant has rejected the township's concerns," Council President Lynne Viscio said in a video posted July 27.
O'Neill strongly disputed that claim.
"That's a bald-faced lie," he said.
O'Neill said he agreed to most of the township's requests and believed discussions were still ongoing.
"I'm a property owner, I have the right to build the buildings I want to build," O'Neill said. He added, "Let's figure out how we make this the best data center in the country by having the community and us cooperate."
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He argued the project would create hundreds of construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs, nearly 400 of them on-site, while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue over 20 years. He also said the development would revitalize a long-vacant industrial property.
O'Neill also said modern data centers are built and operated under stricter standards than in previous decades and believes many people are evaluating current proposals based on outdated perceptions.
A Plymouth Township zoning hearing on the proposal was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday and was expected to draw a large crowd.
