New Jersey Towns Enact, Propose Data Center Bans and Stricter Zoning
Municipalities across New Jersey are increasingly banning or tightening zoning and environmental restrictions on data centers. Warren Township recently advanced an ordinance to proactively prohibit data centers in all its zones, joining other towns taking similar steps.
A noticeable trend is emerging among municipalities throughout New Jersey, where local elected officials are either outright banning data centers or aggressively tightening zoning restrictions and environmental standards for them.
Warren Township recently joined several other towns, including Monroe, Phillipsburg, Andover, Mannington, Millville, and Bernards Township, by advancing an ordinance to prohibit data centers in all its zones. This proactive measure was taken without a current proposal before the township, based on the principle that good planning requires communities to anticipate challenges before they arise. The author, a Warren Township Committeeman, emphasizes the importance of these local actions.