Every eligible household in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, has been promised a $10,000 check from a developer. There is one catch: the money only shows up if a massive data center gets built.

NorthPoint Development plans a 1,300-acre campus near the Pocono foothills with up to 15 data center buildings. In letters mailed to residents in June, the company set aside about $45 million for roughly 4,500 households. The payments would be triggered once the first building is cleared for occupancy, which the company expects in late 2027, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Many residents say the offer raises more questions than it answers. Neighbors near the site have raised concerns about construction, noise and what the project could do to their home values. "$10,000 doesn't match how much it's going to tank my property value," retired teacher Jeff Fasnacht told The Wall Street Journal. Retired homeowner Ed Negra told the paper many residents are asking, "Hey, are they trying to bribe us here?"

Data centers nationwide draw enormous amounts of power and take up large tracts of land, and communities across the country are pushing back. A decision this big, affecting a township of more than 10,000 people, should not be settled by a check that only arrives after approval.

Hazle Township residents deserve the full picture and the final say. The Hazle Township Board of Supervisors should require independent studies on noise, property values, and the project's impact on the power grid and local utility bills. Those results should be made public, and residents should get a community vote before any zoning changes or permits are approved.

Sign the petition to give Hazle Township residents the final say before this data center is approved.