New Brunswick Drafts Data Center Rules as 122 N.J. Municipalities Adopt Bans or Restrictions
New Brunswick officials have proposed zoning and land-use rules for future data centers, including mandatory site-plan review, indoor siting, buffers and standards for noise, water use, energy generation and power capacity. The Planning Board will review the rules before the City Council decides whether to adopt them, following the removal of a proposed data center from the Jersey-Sandford redevelopment plan.
New Brunswick officials have sent proposed amendments to the city’s zoning and land-development codes to the Planning Board for review. The rules would require data centers to submit site plans, locate facilities indoors and maintain buffers from schools, homes and conservation land, while establishing standards for noise, water use, energy generation and power capacity.
The proposal follows the City Council’s 5-0 decision to remove data centers from the Jersey-Sandford redevelopment plan and replace a proposed 27,000-square-foot facility with a public park. Mayor Jim Cahill said the city hired Bignell Planning Consultants Inc. to conduct a broader four- to six-month review of data center planning, infrastructure and environmental issues. The Planning Board can recommend changes, but the City Council will make the final decision on the ordinances.