Watts Township Data Center (Rowan Digital Infrastructure, Susquehanna Crossings plan)

Watts Township fights a ten-building data center plan at Amity Hall as Rowan steps forward as the public face

Developer

MRPI Amity Hall, LLC (applicant and owner on the filed plan), connected in news coverage to MRP Industrial; Rowan Digital Infrastructure is now publicly proposing the Watts Township data center. How Rowan and MRPI are related hasn't been disclosed.

Tenant

No tenant named. Rowan says it builds for leading technology companies.

Current stage

The township's review of the MRPI data center plans runs to November 30, 2026, and the warehouse plan review runs to December 31, 2026. The Zoning Hearing Board ruled the township's appeal of the 2024 zoning officer determination wasn't filed on time, and the supervisors voted September 21 to take that to county court. MRPI's declaratory judgment action is set for argument in November, and two MRPI curative amendments must be dealt with by year-end. Rowan published an open letter October 7 and plans November listening sessions.

Decision body

Watts Township Board of Supervisors (plan approval and curative amendments), Watts Township Zoning Hearing Board, and the Perry County Court of Common Pleas.

Top issues

Whether data centers were ever allowed as a warehouse-type use, building height, noise, on-site power generation, water supply and wells, wastewater discharge to the Susquehanna River, and impacts near Haldeman Island and the Appalachian Trail.

Key opponents

Concerned Citizens of Watts Township (GoFundMe). The township board is contesting MRPI in court.

Key supporters

Donald McClure, leader of the Perry County Republican Party, and a local volunteer fire chief, per WITF.

• 2024-02-26The zoning officer determines that data centers are permitted in the Industrial District as warehouse and similar storage and distribution uses (date given as on or about). Watts Township
• 2026-03-25The Perry County Planning Commission receives the MRPI Amity Hall / Susquehanna Crossings preliminary subdivision and land development plan. Perry County Planning Commission
• 2026-04-01More than 125 people attend a supervisors meeting, and the board postpones its hearing on data center zoning rules. WITF
• 2026-04-08The township and its supervisors appeal the 2024 zoning officer determination to the Zoning Hearing Board. Watts Township
• 2026-04-14The county completes review 26-034 and says the plat generally complies, with revisions possibly required. Perry County Planning Commission
• 2026-05-21Residents start a fundraiser for legal help to challenge the data center. GoFundMe (Concerned Citizens of Watts Township)
• 2026-05-26The supervisors hold a special meeting to review the latest draft data center ordinance. Watts Township
• 2026-06-25The township holds a public hearing on the data center zoning amendment and a special meeting to consider enacting it. Watts Township
• 2026-06-30The Zoning Hearing Board holds its first hearing on the township's appeal. Watts Township
• 2026-07-01The board sets a $200,000 data center conditional use fee, extends data center plan review to October 8 and hires outside counsel for two MRPI curative amendments and MRPI's declaratory judgment suit. Watts Township
• 2026-07-30The Zoning Hearing Board's hearing on the appeal is scheduled to continue. Watts Township
• 2026-09-21After the zoning board finds the township's appeal untimely, the supervisors vote to appeal to county court and extend data center plan review to November 30. Watts Township
• 2026-10-07Rowan CEO Charley Daitch publishes an open letter introducing a proposed Watts Township data center. Rowan Digital Infrastructure
• 2026-10-22Rowan holds a virtual community webinar on water, power, taxes and community benefits. Rowan Digital Infrastructure

• 2026-04-08
  Zoning appeal (township appeal of zoning officer determination) Watts Township Zoning Hearing Board · n/a

  Challenges the zoning officer's February 2024 determination that data centers are a permitted warehouse-type use in the Industrial District.

  Watts Township and its Board of Supervisors; MRPI Amity Hall, LLC / Susquehanna Crossing · Board found the appeal untimely; township voted September 21, 2026 to appeal to county court
• Land use appeal Perry County Court of Common Pleas · n/a

  Appeal of the Zoning Hearing Board's ruling that the township's appeal was untimely. Three citizens with party status could also appeal.

  Watts Township (counsel Salzman Hughes); MRPI · Authorized September 21, 2026; filing not confirmed (30-day appeal period ran to October 9)
• Declaratory judgment action Perry County Court of Common Pleas · n/a

  MRPI claims the township has no legal authority to appeal its own zoning officer's determination.

  MRPI (plaintiff); Watts Township (counsel Salzman Hughes) · Pending; township brief due October 12, 2026, arguments set for November 2026
• Curative amendments (two) Watts Township Board of Supervisors · n/a

  Two curative amendments filed by MRPI challenging the township's zoning. The township hired outside counsel to defend the ordinance at the hearings.

  MRPI; Watts Township · Pending; must be addressed before the end of 2026
• Land use appeal (ordinance advertising) Perry County Court of Common Pleas · n/a

  Argues the public hearing advertisement for an ordinance wasn't timed correctly.

  Not named in the minutes · Pending

• 2026-04-02 WITFPerry Co. residents get delay in Watts Township data center ordinanceA packed April 1 meeting gets the zoning hearing postponed, and an MRP Industrial vice president says he part owns the site.
• Pennsylvania Capital-StarPerry County community gets delay in data center ordinanceRepublishes WITF's April 1 meeting story.
• DatacenterDynamicsDeveloper may build data center instead of warehouse in Perry County, PennsylvaniaReports MRP Industrial's plan for ten 138,000-square-foot data center buildings on 288 acres where it once planned the Susquehanna Crossings logistics hub.