Valley View School District and the Archbald Data Center Cases
Last updated October 2, 2026. This page summarizes public court filings and published news reports. The cases are pending, and the court will decide them. We will update this page as they move forward.
The Valley View School District educates about 2,400 students across four schools. Two of the largest data center campuses proposed in Archbald sit close to its campuses. In 2026, the district's board voted to go to court to make sure both projects go through the full public review the law requires. Joyce, Carmody & Moran serves as the district's solicitor.
The two projects
Project Scott. A proposed 18-building campus on roughly 400 acres near Staback Park, between the Scranton-Carbondale Highway and Eynon-Jermyn Road. Archbald Borough Council voted unanimously to deny it on March 27, 2026. Days later, the developer asserted the project had been "deemed approved" because the conditional use hearing had not concluded within the state deadline.
Project Gravity. A seven-building data center campus proposed on 186 acres between Eynon-Jermyn Road and Business Route 6. Because it applied before the borough changed its zoning in November 2025, it has proceeded as a permitted use, without conditional use hearings. The site is outside all four of the data center overlay districts the borough created.
Timeline
March 2023. Archbald adopts a zoning ordinance that treats data centers as a principally permitted use in commercial districts, meaning a developer could qualify for a permit without a public hearing or a council vote.
November 2025. Council amends the ordinance, making data centers conditional uses limited to four overlay districts. The vote was 4–2, over objections from residents who said the change still allowed data centers in too many places.
March 27, 2026. Council denies Project Scott. The developer then claims a "deemed approval."
May 2026. Valley View's board votes to join the fight. Through its solicitor, the district petitions the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas to join residents' challenge to the borough's zoning, and asks the court to uphold council's denial of Project Scott or, alternatively, send the application back to council to finish its hearing.
July 20, 2026. Judge Mark Powell rules that Archbald residents have standing to challenge the zoning ordinance, rejecting the developers' argument that only neighbors within a few hundred feet could do so.
September 2026. The district files a separate lawsuit against Project Gravity's developers and the borough, arguing the campus does not qualify to proceed under the old rules and should be held to the current data center ordinance.
What the district is protecting
The district's filings identify the specific interests it is responsible for, describing the projects as sited in "dangerously close proximity" to its campuses:
Safe access for school buses and emergency vehicles, during construction and after.
Noise at school property lines, including backup generators.
Sewer and water capacity.
Reliable electrical service.
Air and water quality.
What these cases are and are not
These cases are not a vote on technology or on whether data centers should exist. They ask whether two very large, permanent projects followed the rules that apply to them, and whether the public got the hearing the law requires. That is a question for the court, and the district has asked it to decide on the record.
Other Archbald projects
Valley View is not a party to every proposal. The largest, Wildcat Ridge, is a 14-building campus on more than 500 acres with 588 proposed diesel backup generators. Its conditional use hearings before borough council ended on September 10, 2026, after nine sessions. Council has 45 days from the last hearing to issue a decision.
Sources
WILK News: Valley View School District sues to block major Archbald data center development
WNEP: Valley View School District joins legal battle over Project Scott
WILK News: Judge rules Archbald residents can challenge data center zoning ordinance
More: Community Work · A Resident's Guide to Data Centers · When Something Big Comes to Town
Let’s Work Together
When you work with us, you can expect clear communication, thoughtful strategy, and a team that is fully invested in your goals. We take the time to understand your needs, tailor our approach, and stand with you through every step of the legal process. Let’s move forward — together.