Westfield Planning Board denies permit extension for hyperscale data center project
The Westfield Planning Board unanimously denied Servistar Realties’ request to extend its special permit for a proposed 150-acre hyperscale data center campus, effectively ending the project unless the developer appeals within 20 days. Board members cited the project’s lack of progress and procedural failures, while the developer blamed tax incentives and market disruptions for delays. Westfield also enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center development.
The Westfield Planning Board unanimously refused to extend Servistar Realties’ special permit for a proposed hyperscale data center campus of more than 150 acres. The permit expires at the end of October, and the board said Servistar had not demonstrated good cause for an extension after years of limited progress, including failing to purchase the property and allowing its LLC registration to lapse. The developer also did not register the original permit with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
Servistar representative Paul Corey attributed the delays to the wait for state data center tax incentives, uncertainty in global markets, tariffs and energy-supply issues. Board members, including Chair William Carellas and Vice Chair Cheryl Crowe, said the developer’s explanations did not justify the lack of progress or communication. Servistar may appeal the decision within 20 days. Separately, the Westfield City Council enacted a one-year moratorium on data centers, although the Servistar project had been exempted because it was already underway.