Data center concerns drive my support for Somers Democrats

Dear Editor,

I live down the street from Lincoln Hall, and now that this massive property is on the market, I have a simple question: Who will buy it — and what will they build?

Could an AI data center or Amazon distribution facility end up in my neighborhood? With nearly 1,500 acres across four major properties in town vulnerable to large-scale development, Somers cannot afford to wait until it’s too late.

Lincoln Hall is just one concern. The former IBM and PepsiCo properties, along with Granite Pointe, could attract corporations willing to pay above market value to acquire the land, even if they’re not currently listed for sale. Together, these four properties represent an enormous part of Somers’ future. Our town leadership has had years to develop plans for long-vacant properties like IBM and PepsiCo, yet where is the vision for responsible development that could benefit our community? If leaders haven’t planned for these properties in all this time, how can residents trust them to make sound decisions if major development proposals arrive?

In towns across the country, residents are fighting projects that threaten their quality of life. Imagine round-the-clock noise, construction traffic, enormous electricity demand, and heavy water use — with few, if any, lasting benefits for local residents. This is not a far-off concern. In East Fishkill, residents are fighting a proposed AI data center near beloved Fishkill Farms. Its one-gigawatt capacity would consume more electricity than the entire city of Buffalo. Residents fear threats to local water resources and the farm’s future. Their fight is a warning: once development is approved, the consequences can be difficult to reverse. New York’s one-year data-center moratorium is temporary. Somers needs leaders ready to protect our community after it expires.

We need a proactive plan for these properties — one that protects our environment, respects residents, and ensures meaningful public input before decisions are made.

That is why I support Teresa Clifford for Town Supervisor and Dr. Rita Romeu for Town Board. Somers deserves new leaders who will plan ahead, listen to residents, and put our community first. The time to protect Somers’ future is now.

-Robert O’Connell, Somers