Sayreville council to amend Sunshine Biscuit redevelopment plan, remove data‑center use after resident concerns

The Sayreville mayor and council voted to amend the Hercules redevelopment plan for the former Sunshine Biscuit site, agreeing to remove 'data center' as a permitted use after residents raised concerns about water use, air pollution from backup generators and limited local job benefits.

At a public hearing on Ordinance 3‑26, resident Cassandra Dougherty said the plan’s Special Economic Development Zone included 'a permitted use for this is a data center' and warned that mid‑sized data centers can 'consume more than 100,000,000 gallons of water per year' and place heavy demands on electricity and municipal services. Shamar White, a policy fellow with the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, echoed those concerns, saying 'there is no economic benefit to data centers' and warning of environmental and public‑health impacts from generator emissions.

Veena Sawant, the borough planner, told the council the developer’s proposal is for warehousing, not a data center. She said the site already had planning‑board approval for about 1.2 million square feet of warehousing and that the current proposal is roughly 300,000 square feet smaller. She also said the plan’s bulk standards and a 55‑foot height cap make a data center unlikely at that location and reported the developer was 'amicable' to removing data‑center use from the plan.

Borough attorney Joe Sardillo cautioned that removing a specifically permitted use would be a material change requiring reintroduction of the ordinance. Council members took a straw vote in favor of removing the data‑center use, then Council member John moved to amend (reintroduce) the ordinance; the motion was seconded and approved on roll call, and the council directed staff to reintroduce the ordinance at a future meeting so the amendment can be formally adopted after notice and a hearing.

Why it matters: Residents and environmental advocates said the combination of high electricity and water demand, potential diesel backup generator emissions and limited local job creation make data‑center use a poor fit for the redevelopment plan’s stated sustainability and fiscal goals. The planner’s explanation and the developer’s willingness to amend mean the council will consider a version of the plan that explicitly removes the contested use.

Next steps: The amendment requires reintroduction of the ordinance and another public hearing; council and planning‑board review will continue as part of the land‑use approval process.