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Mayor says proposed data‑center expansion in neighboring Orangetown would sit near Old Tappan homes; council vows advocacy
Summary
Councilors reported resident concerns about a proposed data center on the former Verizon site in Orangetown (two phases of roughly 40 megawatts each, plus a large substation), and said the borough will draft resolutions and contact regional partners and legislators to support neighbors.
Old Tappan officials told the council on Jan. 21 that residents near the borough boundary are pushing back against a proposed large data‑center project in neighboring Orangetown, and the borough plans to support resident outreach and opposition.
The mayor summarized a community meeting with residents from the Waters Edge area who said the proposal—on the former Verizon property—includes a data‑center building drawing about 40 megawatts (a figure the mayor said is roughly enough to power 750–1,000 homes), roof‑top cooling equipment that can produce a continuous low humming, and a sizable substation. Residents said the project would sit very close to back yards and reduce the reservoir buffer in places. The mayor said Orangetown’s initial review was not favorable to the applicants and that Old Tappan will prepare resolutions opposing the application and will reach out to regional land‑conservation groups and state and federal representatives for assistance.
Councilors discussed the limited regulatory reach the borough has over projects sited in another municipality but said they will use resolutions, intermunicipal contacts and legislators to press the case on behalf of impacted residents. Officials flagged potential noise, visual impacts, and utility infrastructure (substation) as the principal concerns and acknowledged the proposal’s ties to large energy demands for artificial‑intelligence computing.
