DALLAS TWP. — Dallas Township Supervisors approved a resolution to submit a $2.3 million grant application to make improvements to Lower Demunds Road, as well as a resolution to establish the Dallas Township Data Center Advisory Committee, which will monitor data center development and recommend amendments to strength regulations for the facilities.
The Board of Supervisors voted to apply for a $2,312,896 LSA grant that would help fund the second phase of improvements to Lower Demunds Road.
Since it’s a county road and the county can only apply for statewide funds, Dallas Township has partnered with Luzerne County to submit the grant.
Michele Sparich, division head of operational services, Nick Vogue, director of project management, for Luzerne County, attended the meeting and gave details on the project.
Vogue said the latest round of improvements would cover 2.03 miles of road and would include purchasing materials for drainage, guardrails, and line paint.
“If, for some reason, the application isn’t funded, or not funded in full, we’ll come up with some other ideas,” Sparich said.
The Commonwealth Financing Authority, which distributes LSA funds, doesn’t have a set date for when applicants will receive a yes or no on their grant submissions, but Sparich hopes to have an answer by next summer.
The project will likely be completed sometime in 2028, Vogue estimated.
Joe Moskovitz, Dallas Township community and economic development director/township administrator, said conversations are ongoing with the county to see if temporary repairs could be made to the road in the meantime.
Data Center Committee
Also at the meeting, the board approved the creation of a committee that will monitor data center development and recommend amendments, if necessary, to the township’s data center regulations.
After the committee was authorized, Supervisor Liz Martin read off the names of 10 people who will serve as members on the committee, which included representatives from the township planning commission and the zoning hearing board.
Martin and board solicitor Tom Mosca, along with newly appointed planning commission attorney Donald Karpowich will also serve as members.
Residents Jennifer Franza and Junell Guarneri will be on the committee as well. They were part of a group of residents who worked with the township to pass an updated version of its data center ordinance, which was approved on July 28.