ANDOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Sussex County) — Andover Township officials will hold a special meeting Tuesday to consider ordinances that would prohibit data centers throughout the township and remove zoning provisions that currently allow them.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 12 at Hillside Barn on Lake Iliff Road in Newton, according to a public notice issued by the township.
In a video posted to the township’s Facebook page, local officials addressed residents ahead of the meeting and discussed the township committee’s plans to revisit zoning regulations involving data centers.
According to the notice, township officials will consider an ordinance repealing data centers as a permitted use and eliminating additional building height allowances previously tied to such developments.
A second ordinance under consideration would ban data centers in all locations within the township.
The meeting will also be available virtually through Zoom, though officials said public comment will only be accepted from residents attending in person. Comments will be limited to three minutes per speaker, with each person permitted to speak once.
The proposed ordinances come amid growing debate in municipalities across New Jersey over the impact of large-scale data center developments, including concerns involving infrastructure demands, land use, noise and energy consumption.
