BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Data centers have been the center of controversy throughout the country and that battle is being waged in Massena as well. 

Most recently, the Town Planning Board opted to remit a proposal to the Zoning Board of Appeals to weigh-in on whether the former Alcoa East location is a permitted location for such projects. 

Though NYDIG and its subsidiaries are currently operating there with a colocation operation from North Country Collocation Services, the plan set forth calls for the construction of three new buildings ranging in size from 450,000 to 515,000 square feet. 

Planning Board officials said last month they intended to thoroughly vet and review the project and would not rush a decision. 

One of the major concerns is the environmental impact, a topic that was raised at numerous meetings throughout the county. 

Planning Board Chair Vance Fleury said the board would remit the project for pre-submission review after County Planning Board members raised a number of concerns themselves, from environmental issues to code language issues. 

“They did a review and they sent it back. They said the town should first refer the project to the Zoning Board of Appeals for interpretation if this project fits the definition of use permitted in the industrial zone,” he said.

With county officials also raising concerns, some municipalities are taking matters into their own hands to slow things down. 

In Canton, town officials are currently mulling a moratorium of their own. 

For Massena, Planning Board officials and Town Board officials are in discussions, Fleury said previously. 

He said the project could possibly not meet the criteria under current code and require a resubmission for a use variance. 

Fleury said he was aware the town was reviewing current code language as well, which is "running in parallel" with the Planning Board. 

Despite the boards taking matters slowly to properly vet and review details, the project is not necessarily a popular one. 

The proposal has received significant pushback in recent weeks, including from advocacy group Mohawks United in Safety and Health (MUSH), who held an "emergency mobilization" at the Massena Town Hall on June 29. 

The group has held numerous information sessions already and had direct engagement with NYDIG officials regarding the project. 

County officials have also voiced concerns about such projects in recent weeks, saying the environmental impact may be extensive and such projects should be thoroughly vetted. 

Assemblyman Scott Gray also called for the governor to veto a potential moratorium on data centers, saying the legislation passed lacks the necessary regulatory framework to site projects while also taking control from local municipalities. 

In a statement issued recently, Gray called for the state to take a step back from data centers and return power to local communities. 

"It's the state's job to create the necessary regulatory framework surrounding these projects. Ultimately, final say should be held with the local communities who would be impacted and the state should take a step back," Gray said. 

County officials said much the same last month after dozens of residents spoke in direct opposition to data centers. 

Many called for an outright county-wide ban, however legislators said the county lacks legal authority to do so. 

"This really is a local issue and it's up to the municipalities. The county doesn't have the legal authority to necessarily do that," Legislator Rita Curran said at the time. 

County officials say they will continue to monitor such projects and work with state representatives as legislation is brought forward.

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