Red Bank council adopts zoning overhaul that adds ADUs and backs limits on large data centers

Red Bank Borough Council on a unanimous roll-call vote adopted a major zoning overhaul that establishes rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), updates historic‑district regulations and makes native‑plant cultivation part of land‑use reviews.

The ordinance package — adopted as ordinances 2026‑18 (zoning overhaul including ADUs), 2026‑17 (historic district/site updates) and 2026‑9 (native‑plant requirements) — passed with all present council members voting "Yes". Mayor William Portman was absent.

Council members and planning staff said the ADU provisions are intended as a cautious, first step to add “gentle density” without turning neighborhoods into multiunit rental enclaves. "The owner‑occupancy provision is very typical for a lot of municipalities," said Susan Favate, the BFJ planner who helped draft the code, explaining that the rules start in single‑family zones, limit unit size and allow property owners to seek a variance from the zoning board if needed. Favate said ADUs that conform to the rules can be administratively approved to avoid the cost of board hearings.

Council member Facy Blackwood highlighted an environmental incentive built into the ADU rules: a green‑development checklist that can earn a modest space bonus for features such as lead‑safe certification, solar or full electrification and on‑site stormwater or composting measures. "If you do those bonus things, then you get to have an increase of 5% in the space of the accessory dwelling unit," Blackwood said.

Resident speakers at the meeting praised the change but urged caution. "I would be concerned that a lot of lots might be zoned out by default," resident David Schmeer said in support while asking planners to monitor potential unintended effects. Another resident, Dennis O'Sullivan, warned that owner‑occupancy and single‑family limits could complicate future property transfers and prompt legal challenges; Favate responded that the municipality deliberately began conservatively and will reassess if many variances are later filed.

The overhaul also banishes future data‑center development as a local land‑use priority and includes updated procedures for the borough's historic district. The native‑plant ordinance requires use of species appropriate to the region and prohibits listed invasive species for qualifying developments.

The council set first readings for two related ordinances: 2026‑20 (two 15‑minute parking spaces on Broad Street at Peter Place) and 2026‑21 (updates to the borough's rent‑control chapter). Public hearings for those measures were scheduled for June 25, 2026.

Next steps: the zoning changes take effect per municipal adoption rules; staff said they will monitor implementation and report back to the council if many variances or unforeseen impacts arise.