Monroe Township, NJ, Sued Over Data Center Ban
Monroe Township in South Jersey is facing a $300 million federal lawsuit from Hexa Builders after denying the company's application for a data center and enacting a development ban. Hexa Builders alleges free speech and equal protection violations, arguing data centers are a medium of expression. The controversy highlights resident concerns about environmental impacts and quality of life.
Princeton-based Hexa Builders has filed a $300 million lawsuit in federal court against Monroe Township, New Jersey, following the denial of its application to build a 1 million-square-foot data center and a warehouse, and the township's subsequent ban on data center development. The company, which had been planning a data center at 3043 Black Horse Pike for years, alleges violations of free speech and equal protection rights.
According to Hexa Builders' complaint, data centers should be considered a "medium of expression," and a ban on their development would infringe upon the free speech rights of all U.S. citizens. This legal challenge arises amidst growing regional controversy over data centers, with residents often protesting their potential impact on the environment, noise levels, and overall quality of life.
The Inquirer's Sarah Nicell reported on the specifics of the lawsuit. The article also touches on other South Jersey news, including air quality alerts due to Canadian wildfire smoke, a separate incident involving an Inquirer journalist's notes appearing in the state attorney general’s files, efforts to protect Burlington County farmland, and an investigation into July Fourth power outages.