Manchester Mayor Hankins Stands Firm Against Data Centers After Township Bans Them
Manchester Township officials unanimously approved an ordinance repealing provisions that had allowed data centers under a redevelopment plan. The action followed strong resident opposition and concerns about infrastructure, electricity demand, water supplies and environmental resources.
Manchester Township Mayor Joseph Hankins reaffirmed his opposition to data centers after the Township Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Sept. 14 removing provisions that permitted the facilities under a redevelopment plan. The measure followed crowded public meetings in August, where residents raised concerns about the potential effects of large-scale data centers on local infrastructure, utility demand, land use and environmental resources.
Hankins said he directed the township attorney to draft the repeal after hearing residents’ objections. His campaign described the ordinance as prohibiting data centers throughout Manchester Township and credited public participation with prompting the action. Hankins also discussed opposition to data centers with U.S. Rep. Chris Smith and Ocean County Commissioner Rob Arace, while acknowledging that the full ordinance text was not included in the campaign statement.