Here’s some good news! Over the last several weeks, I’ve been a small part of a team (Lancaster Stands Up, or LSU) working with local people in Columbia (a borough in Lancaster County) to fight a proposal by a private equity firm that wanted to buy land in the borough for a data center. Lots of issues with land use (it’s next to a very popular trail), water use, and electric supply.
LSU held an info session on AI and data centers (I was part of that effort) and canvassed residents in the pouring rain last Saturday. Last night, more than 300 people showed up for the borough council meeting, so many that the largest public building in town couldn’t hold them, so some voluntarily stood outside the big open windows to make sure the building capacity limit was followed (It was in the fire house!).
For almost four hours, people spoke passionately about their homes, their quality of life, and how they didn’t want that data center. People who had probably never been to a council meeting, let alone testified, stood up and spoke out. Everyone who wanted to had the opportunity to say their piece. In the end, the entire borough council voted NO and did not accept the offer.
WE WON! No data center in Columbia, PA!
I watched the whole hearing on YouTube (the borough channel!) and seeing American democracy in action was amazing and moving. Before this hearing, the majority of the council appeared ready to accept the $6.35MM offer for the land purchase, but they actually listened to their constituents and did what the majority of the people asked them to do: stand up to an outside company with sketchy finances and a bad track record and stand up for their quality of life and their hometown values.
This morning, I’m more hopeful for our democracy than I have been in a long time.
The video in this post shows the council vote and then the reaction, so you can watch democracy in action too. (Courtesy Lancaster Stands Up Data Center team)
(Full story at the Lancaster Online website)
