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Bayonne council pledges to block data centers after large public outcry
Summary
Dozens of residents urged Bayonne City Council to rescind an earlier rezone that allows data centers, citing utility, health and noise concerns. The council voted a resolution to research rescinding the permitted use and pledged not to approve any data‑center projects while studies are prepared.
Dozens of residents filled the Darth E. Harrington Council Chambers on April 15 to oppose adding “data center” to the list of allowed uses in a redevelopment plan for a peninsula industrial site, pressing elected officials to reverse the earlier zoning change and promising continued public scrutiny.
The public‑comment period stretched more than two hours. “Data centers do not have a place in Bayonne,” said Crystal Laponte, a lifelong resident, arguing that the facilities consume large amounts of water and electricity and would raise utility rates for nearby households. Patricia Hillyard, chair of the Hudson County chapter of the Sierra Club, asked the council to “provide transparency to the community” and to guarantee meaningful public input before any project moves forward.
Why it matters: Residents said the change — which only expands the list…
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