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Lopatcong council adopts ordinance banning data centers after public hearing
Summary
The Lopatcong Township Council on July 1 adopted Ordinance 26-06 to ban data centers in several commercial zones, citing utility and planning concerns. Residents offered mixed views at the public hearing; council also said it will proceed with a master-plan re‑examination and public hearing in the coming months.
Lopatcong Township Mayor Wright and the council voted unanimously July 1 to adopt Ordinance 26-06, amending the municipal code to prohibit data centers as a principal, conditional or accessory use in the township’s research, office and manufacturing zones.
The measure, read for a second time at the meeting, was accompanied by a resolution explaining why the council was adopting the ordinance despite the planning board’s determination that the change is inconsistent with the master plan; the council cited the statutory procedure noted on the record. After the council opened the public hearing, multiple residents addressed the planned ban and related planning steps.
During public comment, resident Matt Sarosky said he is “not pro for it or against it” and urged the township to consider job opportunities that a data center could bring while also requiring utility and water safeguards. Loretta Womelsdorf, a resident who spoke against data centers, told the council “data centers do not provide many long-term jobs” and raised ecological and water-use concerns. Sarah Hare thanked the council for passing the ban and noted several neighboring townships have taken similar steps.
Council members and staff responded to questions about the planning process and timeline. A staff speaker said the council previously adopted a resolution authorizing a re‑examination of the master plan; that re‑examination is the mechanism the planning board will use to resolve inconsistencies and is expected to include a subsequent public hearing “in the next couple months” on a publicly noticed schedule. The council also said the ordinance follows New Jersey statutory procedures allowing an ordinance to be adopted notwithstanding planning-board recommendations when the council records its reasons.
The council closed public comment and adopted Ordinance 26-06 by roll call. No formal legal challenge was pending at the meeting; officials acknowledged anyone could sue but said the council had followed statutory steps to make the ordinance defensible.
Next steps: council and planning-board processes tied to the master‑plan re‑examination will be noticed for public hearings; staff advised residents to monitor posted notices for exact dates and to submit comments at the planning-board public hearing when it is scheduled.
