EAST WHITELAND TWP, PA — East Whiteland Township ordered an immediate halt Wednesday to work under a building permit for the Sentinel/Green Fig data center development after determining the developer had not provided required documentation showing sufficient water availability for the project.
The Aug. 26 stop-work order applies to Permit B-2026-221 and covers work including micropiles, footings, concrete pads and a control house that the township stated had been partially completed. The order identifies the project site as 13 South Bacton Hill Road in Malvern.
Township officials cited the project’s Land Development and Financial Security Agreements, which require permits, approvals and “will serve” letters from outside agencies to be obtained before construction of improvements begins. According to the stop-work order, the township had not received Aqua’s required confirmation of sufficient water availability for the development.
A separate township information sheet issued Wednesday confirms that the developer had not provided the Aqua “will serve” letter as of Aug. 26.
The order requires the developer to immediately cease work associated with Permit B-2026-221 and provide clear documentation from Aqua showing sufficient water is available and committed to the project. That documentation could take the form of a signed agreement between the parties, a letter from Aqua or both.
The township must receive and review the documentation before it can issue the permit needed for work under B-2026-221 to proceed, according to the order, which Township Manager Steve Brown posted at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The enforcement action adds a new permitting issue to the Sentinel/Green Fig project as township officials continue responding to residents’ questions about the development.
East Whiteland stated that it maintains a public spreadsheet tracking permits associated with the data center and clarified that permits carrying “Not Issued” in the spreadsheet’s “Date Issued” column have not been issued.
Staff and consultants are compiling details of the project’s 2024 land-development approval in response to requests made by residents during the Aug. 19 Board of Supervisors meeting, with the township stating that information will be released publicly.
The stop-work order itself applies specifically to Permit B-2026-221. The documents provided by the township do not state that all activity associated with the broader data center development has been halted.
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