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Planning board approves AT&T's 1,250 kW generator, grants nine‑space parking variance
Summary
The Bedminster Planning Board approved AT&T Services Inc.'s site plan to place a 1,250 kW generator with an 8,000‑gallon double‑wall diesel tank at its Route 206 campus and granted a C‑variance for nine parking spaces, subject to standard conditions and abandonment of a prior accessory structure approval.
The Bedminster Planning Board on Jan. 10 authorized AT&T Services Inc. to install a 1,250‑kilowatt emergency generator and an 8,000‑gallon above‑ground double‑wall diesel fuel tank at its Route 206 campus and granted a C‑variance for nine parking spaces, subject to standard compliance conditions and the applicant's abandonment of a prior accessory structure approval.
John Machowski, attorney for AT&T, introduced the application and said the generator is needed "as soon as possible" to protect an on‑site data center. Rob Michello (recorded in the oath as Robert Mosello), a professional engineer for the applicant, testified the unit is an existing AT&T generator being relocated from a Virginia site, will be housed in a sound enclosure and manufacturer specifications indicate "65 dB at 25 ft". He added the enclosure plus the generator's placement — about 150 feet from the property line and more than 300 feet from the nearest residence — means routine daytime testing will meet state noise standards.
Michello and witness Ronald Kennedy, a professional engineer and planner, described the planned installation: two elevated concrete pads to accommodate a generator approximately 12½ feet tall and a fuel tank about 6½–7 feet tall. The applicant proposed testing during daytime business hours only (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), no weekend testing, and monthly exercise runs typically lasting about 20 minutes.
Machowski and Michello stressed urgency based on a prior 2024 power outage: "the temperature in the data center went up to 110 degrees and the sprinkler head popped and they ended up with almost a half million dollars worth of damage," Michello said, citing the event to justify expedited installation to prevent future equipment damage and customer impacts.
The planning staff and board discussed parking, citing recent counts that showed variable availability across the large campus. Staff said peak counts in March–April showed between about 128 and 297 available spaces at different times, and that the net loss from installing the generator would be four to nine spaces depending on whether previously approved but unbuilt accessory structure spaces are counted. Staff asked AT&T to monitor parking and return if conditions change. Board members also noted that EV charging spaces receive ordinance credit (counted as two stalls), which can reduce the variance needed.
Attorney Tom Collins read a resolution that conditions approval on standard compliance items, the reports of planning staff, and the applicant's expressed abandonment of the prior accessory testing structure approval and its associated parking. The motion to approve preliminary and final site plan and the related C‑variance for nine parking spaces passed on a roll call; the board authorized the applicant to proceed once all compliance requirements were met.
Votes at a glance
- Approve AT&T preliminary/final site plan and C‑variance for nine parking spaces — approved (motion carried; roll call read by chair). - Grant one‑year extension for Country Club 305 subdivision filing — approved (motion carried). - Approve resolution for New Jersey American Water — approved (motion carried).
