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Carneys Point committee introduces ordinance to ban data centers; referral set to Planning Board after split vote
Summary
The Carneys Point Township Committee introduced Ordinance 2026-193 to prohibit data centers in all zoning districts and referred it to the Planning Board for review; the introduction passed with one dissenting vote as residents urged the panel to move quickly.
Carneys Point Township’s governing body introduced an ordinance on June 17 to amend Chapter 212 of the township zoning code to explicitly prohibit data centers in every zoning district and sent the proposal to the Planning Board for its 45‑day review period.
The ordinance introduction passed on a 4–1 vote, with Mayor Bomba, Mrs. C. Martin, Dr. Johnson and Mr. G. Martin voting in favor and Mr. Brown voting no. The committee then approved Resolution 2026-142 to formally refer the ordinance to the Planning Board; the same split vote was recorded for that referral.
Committee members debated the change before the vote. Mrs. C. Martin and others said they were acting on resident concerns about water use, local impacts and community priorities. Mr. Brown said he voted against introduction because several state bills addressing data‑center restrictions are pending and a municipality in another matter is being sued after denying an application; he asked the solicitor to review legal exposure before a final adoption vote.
Public comment at the meeting was strongly tilted toward supporting the ban. Roman Maron Jr., identified as a resident of Vineland, told the committee that, in his view, nearby data centers are heavy water users, saying, "Vineland Data 1 uses 8 million gallons of water per year," and urging Carneys Point to avoid similar strain on local resources. Megan of Grandview Court and Amy Tighe encouraged residents to attend the Planning Board review. A man at the meeting questioned whether the presence of electric transmission towers signaled township consent for data centers; Mayor Bomba responded that the towers were installed under federal guidelines and did not constitute local approval for data‑center projects.
Mayor Bomba said the ordinance was introduced to respond to resident concerns about development patterns and local fiscal impacts after years of population and revenue loss in the county. The Planning Board has up to 45 days under state statute to review and return recommendations; the committee will then decide whether to adopt, amend or abandon the ordinance.
The ordinance was introduced but not adopted. Any final ban would require a later adoption vote by the Township Committee after the Planning Board review and any revisions.
