Gonnelli Wants Height Limits For New Data Centers Near Residential Areas

SECAUCUS, NJ — Note: This story has been corrected from its original form.

The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) will hold their monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, at their headquarters building in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst.

Not only have several Secaucus residents (all against data centers) said they plan to attend the meeting and confront NJSEA leadership, but Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli said he will speak at the meeting, as well.

Gonnelli said he plans to tell the NJSEA Board of Commissioners he wants any new data center that opens in town to be no taller than two stories, if it's located near a residential part of town.

(This does not apply to the new CoreSite data center the town already approved to open at 215 County Avenue, next to Shetik soccer fields. That is planned to be 500,000 square feet and four stories tall. It is too late for the town to make it smaller, clarified Gonnelli. Construction has not started yet. Patch incorrectly reported this new two-story limit would apply there.)

Gonnelli said he told the NJSEA he'll be at Thursday's meeting.

The NJSEA is the state authority that determined the zoning for 14 towns in the New Jersey Meadowlands, and also created the Meadowlands Master Plan. Data centers are allowed to open throughout much of Secaucus, in areas zoned for light industry. Data center companies say Secaucus is attractive because of all the fiber optic cables and its location right next to New York City.

Former NJSEA CEO (and former speaker of the state Assembly) Vinny Prieto said last week that Gonnelli is not punting (reporter's word) or passing the buck when he blames the NJSEA for establishing the zoning laws in 88 percent of Secaucus.

"They really do control the zoning for that much of town," Prieto said. "That's how it was set up. He's not punting on this issue."

Gonnelli said he asked the mayors of the 13 other towns in the Meadowlands (towns like East Rutherford, Carlstadt, etc.) if they would come on Thursday. It remains to be seen if they will back him up. Gonnelli also used to be a commissioner on the NJSEA, but he said he quit three times.

"I sent them a resignation letter for a third time when their new (CEO Jill Hirsch) was sworn in in January. They still call my name at meetings (in roll call)," said Gonnelli.

Hirsch was appointed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

An spokeswoman for Hirsch said the NJSEA does hold zoning jurisdiction over portions of each town in the Meadowlands district. However, she said in 2015 the town of Secaucus elected to become an “opt-out” municipality. It's still unclear what that means.

Also, Secaucus resident Tom Roarty attended last week's Oct. 13 meeting between two data center companies (CoreSite, Equinix), the town, and PSE&G and Veolia water company. He posted this summary of what was said at the meeting on Facebook.

Tom Hindell contributed reporting.