Nutley residents press for town hall as board explains process for possible Kingsland data center

Emma Cortese, a Nutley resident, urged the board to hold a town hall on a possible data center at the Kingsland redevelopment site, saying the community is “full of misinformation and anxiety” and that residents need a public forum to learn about potential impacts.

Mayor Kelly responded that, "we don't have a pending application for a data center before the board," and that the town has been preparing by consulting experts so it can evaluate any future application. He said the redevelopment plan allows the use but emphasized that an allowed use does not equal an approved building and that any site-plan application would go to the town’s construction office and then the planning board for expert review.

Multiple residents cited concerns about noise, utility demands and contamination. Lauren Melnick told commissioners that data centers “can and do generate a lot of continuous noise” and cited reports saying a single data center can use electricity comparable to “100,000 households” and large volumes of water; she asked what the town would require to mitigate those risks. Cindy Terrell asked what rules would prevent a small facility from expanding later.

Fran Reiner, the town’s redevelopment planning consultant, explained that the Kingsland redevelopment plan acts as zoning for the site and that the plan permits a data center among several uses. Reiner and other officials said the planning board — not the commissioners — would be the body to review and approve a specific site plan, and that the board hires outside engineers and planners to analyze noise, traffic, water and other impacts.

Commissioner Evans addressed remediation and environmental oversight, saying the Hoffmann‑LaRoche owner previously spent “over $400,000,000 cleaning the site,” that environmental cleanup documentation exists and that ongoing monitoring is part of the site’s controls. Mayor Kelly and other commissioners said the town has retained specialists and will require applicants to show how they will meet life‑safety, noise and utility conditions. The mayor acknowledged it is “hard to be transparent” without a formal application but said staff would share information as it becomes available and that a special meeting or town hall could be advertised when the board has substantive material to present.

Several residents asked the board to host an early town hall to keep the public involved while the review and negotiations continue. Commissioners repeatedly invited residents to raise concerns with them and with state lawmakers for policy issues beyond local authority (for example, statewide reporting or auditing of water or power use). The board said it prefers negotiation with the property owner over litigation but will rely on legal counsel where necessary.

The board did not take formal action on the site at the July 7 meeting. Officials said the next procedural step, should an application be filed, would be review in the construction office and referral to the planning board, which would hire consultants whose reports and hearings would be open to public comment.