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Contested

Pennhurst Data Center Campus

East Vincent Township, Chester County

Penn Hurst Holdings' data center campus on the grounds of the former Pennhurst State School, about 1.9 million square feet on roughly 125 acres, denied unanimously by East Vincent's supervisors and now before the Chester County Court of Common Pleas.

ContestedGreenfield GasBrownfieldSE
At a glance

The project by the numbers

StatusOn Appeal
Building area1,889,300 sq ft
Site124.57 acres
First announced2025-10-08
Target onlineTBD

Denied 5-0 by East Vincent, now on appeal in Chester County court

The number that mattersEast Vincent's manager on the appeal: "We did anticipate them appealing to the decision of the board, but we will be extremely aggressive in defending the decision to protect the residents of our community and the precious environmental resources from the owner of Pennhurst."
Developer
Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC (owner's representative Derek Strine), represented by land-use attorney Matt McHugh of Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg; plans by Langan Engineering
Tenant
No tenant or end user has been named.
Current stage
On appeal. The supervisors denied the conditional use 5-0 on May 21, 2026, and Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC filed a land-use appeal in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas on June 26 arguing the board misread the zoning ordinance. East Vincent Advocacy was allowed to intervene in August; it says briefs are due November 9 and that the developer's challenge to its intervenor status will be heard in early November. Manager Robert Zienkowski said the township will be "extremely aggressive in defending the decision."
Decision body
East Vincent Township Board of Supervisors (denied); the appeal is before the Chester County Court of Common Pleas
Top issues
Residents and officials have focused on the sheer footprint of the buildings, what remains in the ground from the site's industrial past, water use, continuous mechanical noise, and emissions from backup generation.
Key opponents
Prevent East Vincent Data Center Development (2,600+ Facebook members; Joanna Tenney, John Binelli); East Vincent Advocacy (evtadvocacy.org), an intervenor in the appeal with attorney Carl Ewald; Spring City officials; Southeastern Veterans Center residents; Sen. Katie Muth (resident)
Key supporters
No organized supporters have been reported. A representative of the local electricians' union spoke for the project in December 2025, citing construction jobs (Inquirer). The developer has reportedly claimed about 1,000 construction and 250 permanent jobs plus tax revenue.

How we got here

Initial conversations with the township began in May 2025, the manager said. The conditional use application was submitted October 8, 2025. On December 17, 2025 the supervisors dropped a draft data center ordinance after the solicitor warned of a challenge, and in December the developer also filed a substantive validity challenge, now on hold. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial on February 17, 2026. A revised three-building plan arrived March 12. Conditional use hearings were held April 20 and May 21, 2026, and the board denied the application 5-0 on May 21. The developer appealed on June 26, and the court granted East Vincent Advocacy's request to intervene in August.

What is at stake

Impacts raised and open questions

Environmental justice and site legacy

High

Proximity to Southeastern Veterans Center, homes, and the Schuylkill River cited; F&WW-led opposition culminated in 5-0 denial May 21 2026.

Food & Water Watch

Air quality

High

Proposed 550-MW gas-fired power plant and about 160 backup generators adjacent to the Southeastern Veterans Center and homes.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Visual and light

High

County planners noted two of the buildings would run a combined 2,820 feet, more than half a mile, with Building B 528 feet from a Southeastern Veterans Center building, and asked for a visual analysis including views from the Schuylkill River Trail.

Chester County Planning Commission

Water

Medium

County planners said an unnamed tributary of the Schuylkill runs south of Building C, so that part of the site may face flooding and high water tables, and the plan must meet the township's riparian buffer rules; the Schuylkill there is listed as impaired.

Chester County Planning Commission

Public safety

Medium

The county review asked the township to consult emergency responders on how to handle an emergency at the battery storage area, and to assess noise, odors and pollutants from the power generation area on Schuylkill River Trail users.

Chester County Planning Commission
Community response

Who is organizing against it

Prevent East Vincent Data Center Development

Single-project · Founded 2025

Leaders: Joanna Tenney & husband (founders); John Binelli (admin)

Tactics: Facebook group (2,600+ members), rallies outside East Vincent Elementary, party-status applications at conditional-use hearings, coordination with neighboring Spring City officials

Primary opposition to the Pennhurst data center (P036). East Vincent Advocacy (evtadvocacy.org) is a separate resident group. The Facebook group grew to 2,600+ members.

Website · Petition

Pennhurst-area residents (East Vincent Township)

Township · Founded 2025 · 12,000 signatures

Tactics: Petition drive exceeding 12,000 signatures, packed township meetings, opposition to a proposed data center zoning framework that would have eased approval

Local advocacy organizations rejected a proposed data center ordinance, which was dismissed before coming to a vote, keeping the project in the slower existing zoning process. State Sen. Katie Muth has been active for residents.

East Vincent Advocacy

East Vincent Township

Tactics: Intervened in the Penn Hurst land-use appeal with attorney Carl Ewald; legal defense fund with a $10,000 goal; turnout at hearings

Its petition is for keeping East Vincent rural generally. The group also fought a housing plan on the Ruth Farm.

Website · Facebook · Petition · Donate

Timeline

How it has unfolded

  • 2025-10-08Penn Hurst Holdings submits a conditional use application for data centers and an office building on the former Pennhurst grounds. East Vincent Township
  • 2025-12-17Supervisors drop a draft data center ordinance after the solicitor warns it could draw a legal challenge. Philadelphia Inquirer
  • 2026-01-15The Zoning Hearing Board unanimously accepts the developer's indefinite waiver of deadlines on its substantive validity challenge, putting it on hold. East Vincent Township Zoning Hearing Board
  • 2026-02-17The Planning Commission unanimously recommends denial after the applicant declines to present. East Vincent Township
  • 2026-04-16County planners review the revised three-building plan of 1,889,300 square feet on 124.57 acres and urge a visual analysis. Chester County Planning Commission
  • 2026-04-20Pennhurst conditional-use hearing begins (about 60 residents party status)
  • 2026-05-21East Vincent Township DENIES Pennhurst conditional-use application 5-0 Food & Water Watch
  • 2026-06-26Developer files a land-use appeal of the denial in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas The Mercury / Daily Local News
  • 2026-08-26East Vincent Advocacy reports the court granted its request to intervene in the developer's land-use appeal. evtadvocacy.org / Facebook / Change.org
  • 2026-10-09The developer's attorney objects a second time to East Vincent Advocacy's intervenor status; the judge agrees to hear it in early November, the group says. evtadvocacy.org / Facebook / Change.org
Legal record

Filings and legal actions

  • 2026-05-21
    Conditional-use decision East Vincent Twp Board of Supervisors · (local)

    Board denied conditional-use application 5-0 for the 1.9M sq ft (later amended +600k sq ft) project; followed Planning Commission's Feb 2026 recommendation against.

    Pennhurst Holdings LLC vs East Vincent Township · Denied 5-0
  • 2026-06-26
    Land-use appeal Chester County Court of Common Pleas · (Chester Co CCP)

    Appeal of the May 21 denial arguing the IMU district rules conflict with the planned commercial development and TDR provisions, so the board committed an error of law. East Vincent Advocacy said it would seek to intervene.

    Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC v. East Vincent Township Board of Supervisors · Filed; pending (no hearing date reported)
  • 2025-12
    Substantive validity challenge East Vincent Township Zoning Hearing Board · n/a

    Challenge to whether East Vincent's zoning ordinance lawfully provides for data centers, filed separately from the conditional use application.

    Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC; East Vincent Township · On hold; the board accepted the developer's indefinite waiver of deadlines on January 15, 2026
  • Petition to intervene in land-use appeal Chester County Court of Common Pleas · n/a

    The resident group seeks to defend the board's denial alongside the township; it says briefs are due November 9, 2026.

    East Vincent Advocacy (intervenor, attorney Carl Ewald); Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC · Granted in August 2026; the developer objected again October 9 and a hearing is expected in early November
News

Coverage of this project

Sources

Know your rights

In Pennsylvania, the local zoning ordinance sets the route. A conditional use is decided by the elected governing body (supervisors, commissioners or council). A special exception or variance, and an appeal of a zoning officer’s decision, go to the Zoning Hearing Board. Each is a public hearing on a record: affected neighbors can ask for party status, cross-examine witnesses, and appeal. Municipalities can also adopt data center ordinances with enforceable standards.

Know your rights →

Take action

Organized community opposition is the single most effective check on these projects in Pennsylvania. Show up to hearings, submit comment when it is taken, support legal and expert-witness costs, and press your municipality for a real ordinance. Pennsylvania municipalities cannot simply freeze applications, but a curative amendment under the Planning Code gives them a defined window to fix a defective ordinance.

How communities push back →