Florence mayor says expanded PA data-center rally forced cancellation of planned town hall; council seeks tighter zoning and baseline testing

Mayor Kristan I. Marter told the Florence Township Council on June 3 that a planned town hall about a Pennsylvania data center was moved and then cancelled after the event grew from a small three-town meeting into a larger rally that township officials said would overburden local security and raise taxpayer overtime costs.

Marter said she first learned of the project from a Facebook post and a Pennsylvania DEP public-comment notice and quickly contacted local and regional officials, including Assemblyman Balvir Singh. She said she and Administrator Thomas Sahol attended a governor’s press conference, where she interrupted to speak briefly with the governor about the Falls Township project.

"I rushed the podium and I had an opportunity to speak directly with the Governor," Marter said, adding that state and neighboring municipalities are now pursuing records via OPRA and other requests to gather more information. She said her review of Falls Township minutes showed a March 25, 2025 vote that changed the project from an Amazon warehouse to an Amazon data center and that, according to an article she read, the building has been fast-tracked and backup generators are already being tested.

Council members expressed concern about potential environmental and quality-of-life impacts given Florence’s proximity to the site. "We should get baseline air, water and sound testing so when this thing comes on we have some numbers to compare it to," Council Representative Talaya Loftin said, urging staff to seek partnerships with Rutgers or the NJDEP.

Solicitor Robert Wright and Administrator Sahol were asked to compile and report whether existing township code already provides protection. Wright told council his office has been researching the issue and requested two weeks to produce guidance and recommended language; the mayor and council said they want to determine whether the township needs tightened zoning definitions or a moratorium to close any loopholes.

Mayor Marter also addressed social-media criticism she said followed the town-hall cancellation and denied assertions about a family business benefiting from the project, saying she and her husband closed their solar business last year and had no Pennsylvania licenses. "I couldn’t let the cost of the Assemblyman’s rally fall on the backs of the taxpayers of Florence Township," she said.

Next steps: council directed solicitor and land-use counsel to compile applicable ordinances, and Council asked staff to pursue baseline environmental testing partnerships and return recommended ordinance language at a future meeting or workshop.