Council introduces ordinance to ban data centers; residents debate health, water and economic tradeoffs

The Berkeley Heights council introduced an ordinance on first reading that would prohibit data centers as a permitted use in every zoning district.

Council members set a public hearing for the ordinance and asked the township planner and engineering staff to review the draft before any adoption vote. The proposed ban drew immediate public response: some residents urged the council to enact the restriction to protect local water supplies, prevent heavy diesel‑generator pollution and avoid large‑footprint, low‑employment uses on valuable land. Speakers cited examples from other jurisdictions and said permitting a data center could require large upgrades to electrical and water infrastructure that may not benefit residents.

Other speakers urged caution. Local planning professionals and business representatives recommended the township first request complete project proposals and independent technical reviews (water use, wastewater impact, sound and air emissions, and utility loads) before committing to an absolute prohibition. They said not all data centers are the same and that a site‑specific review could allow mitigation measures or negotiated community benefits if a proposal is technically and fiscally feasible.

The council set the ordinance for standard planning‑board consistency review and public hearing; members said they will circulate planner and engineer analyses and welcome written comments ahead of the next meeting.

What’s next: The ordinance will proceed through a planning‑board consistency review and a public hearing. Residents and businesses were invited to provide written analysis and data to the planner in advance of the July hearing.