New Data Center Regulations Approved In Bridgewater Amid Resident Concerns

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — New regulations governing data centers and hyperscale data centers were approved by the Bridgewater Township Council last week.

The approval at the Sept. 2 Council meeting came following residents' concerns about the potential impact of the facilities on neighborhoods, particularly around the Greymark redevelopment site at 1200 Route 22.

Ordinance 26-15 amends Chapter 126 of the township’s land-use code to establish supplemental requirements for data centers and hyperscale data centers.

The township’s Planning Board had reviewed the ordinance the previous day and found it not inconsistent with the township’s Master Plan, recommending that the Council adopt it.

The vote followed more than an hour of public testimony, with residents raising concerns about noise, power consumption, water use, emergency generators, environmental impacts and the proximity of potential data centers to residential properties.

Much of the discussion centered on 1200 Route 22, the former Greymark office property, where the township adopted a redevelopment plan in 2025 that allows a data center as one possible use for the rear portion of the property.

The redevelopment plan also permits age-restricted multifamily housing as an alternative use. Township records show the Council adopted that redevelopment plan in 2025.

Several residents urged the Council to go further and eliminate the possibility of a data center at the site.

Ed Caldwell of Martinsville told the Council that the township should reconsider its previous decisions in light of what officials and residents now know about large data centers.

"Responsible leadership requires putting community needs, property rights, and safety ahead of political expediency," Caldwell said.

Other speakers questioned whether the new ordinance would provide sufficient protections for residents living near 1200 Route 22.

Curtis Kraut, an Adamsville Road resident and electrical engineer, said he had reviewed the proposed ordinance and the Greymark redevelopment plan and believed the two documents contained conflicting provisions.

He questioned whether the new standards would actually apply to the Route 22 property.

Township officials said they would.

When asked whether the ordinance would apply to 1200 Route 22 after its adoption, the township attorney answered, "Yes. Broadly speaking, yes."

Officials emphasized that the new ordinance does not itself make data centers a permitted use in Bridgewater.

Township planner Katherine Sarmad said data centers are not currently a permitted use in any township zone, apart from the provisions of the Greymark redevelopment plan.

Sarmad also explained that the ordinance establishes definitions and standards for large and modern data centers but does not authorize construction of one simply because it meets those definitions.

Under the ordinance discussed at the meeting, a data center is characterized in part by a power-density threshold of at least two megawatts per acre, while a hyperscale data center is defined in part by a power demand of 80 megawatts or more.

Officials stressed that the classifications are intended to establish regulatory standards, not to automatically permit such facilities.

The distinction between smaller and larger data centers was a significant part of the discussion.

A resident asked what would happen if a facility used less than two megawatts.

Sarmad said Bridgewater already has existing data centers that generally have much lower power demands and were established before the newer concerns surrounding large, energy-intensive facilities became widespread.

She said the township's goal was to address the newer generation of data centers associated with substantially greater power, water and cooling demands.

Residents nevertheless raised concerns about the possibility of multiple smaller facilities being developed near one another, effectively creating a larger cumulative impact.

Noise was another major concern.

Speakers urged the township to address low-frequency noise, including the persistent hum associated with cooling equipment and other machinery.

Residents said conventional screening or landscaping would not necessarily address low-frequency sound because it can penetrate walls.

Other testimony focused on emergency generators, emissions, water use and the potential strain large facilities could place on the electric grid.

Jennifer Loughran urged officials to consider community benefits, including public spaces, flood mitigation, water gardens and pathways.

The Council's discussion also addressed a broader legal question as to whether they should simply prohibit data centers altogether.

Council President Joan Geiger said she had researched the issue extensively and had concerns about the legal ramifications of an outright ban.

She said officials must balance residents' health, safety and welfare against the rights of property owners and the requirement that municipal land-use decisions not be arbitrary or unreasonable.

"We're doing our best," Geiger said, describing the ordinance as an evolving effort to address a rapidly changing industry.

Township officials also explained what could happen without the new ordinance.

A property owner could seek a use variance for a data center in a zone where the use is not permitted. Without codified data-center standards, the zoning board would have fewer specific regulations to use when evaluating such an application.

Officials said the new ordinance gives land-use boards and applicants a defined set of standards covering potential impacts and provides a framework that can be strengthened in the future.

Council members acknowledged that the regulations may not be permanent or exhaustive as the technology continues to develop.

"If there's a need to revisit this, it will certainly be revisited," Geiger said.

The ordinance ultimately was unanimously passed.

To see the full ordinance, click here.

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