Planning Board recommends council ban data centers, cites Master Plan conflicts

Cherry Hill’s Planning Board voted unanimously on July 20 to recommend that Township Council adopt Ordinance 2026-10, which would prohibit data centers as a principal land use in the township. Consultant planner Christopher Dochney of Artheon presented the ordinance and accompanying analyses and told the board the measure was referred after first reading on July 13, 2026.

Dochney framed the recommendation as a consistency decision under New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law, saying, "under the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL) at N.J.S.A. 40:55D-26, any ordinance introduced by a governing body that will amend or change the zoning ordinance must be referred to the Planning Board for a report on consistency with the adopted municipal Master Plan." He also told the board that, because of "the significant use of energy, land and water, undesirable visual environment and relative lack of job generation," data centers are inconsistent with the 2018 Master Plan’s land use, economic development, sustainability and conservation goals.

Artheon submitted four exhibits for the review, including a Data Center Impact Report dated June 17, 2026, and two memoranda with zoning recommendations and a consistency analysis dated July 3 and July 17, 2026. Board members asked no follow-up questions and no members of the public spoke on the ordinance during the meeting.

Chair Sam Kates moved to recommend the ordinance and was seconded by Ed Rentezelas; affirmative votes were recorded from Earle Seneres, Kates, Sheila Griffith, Rentezelas, Christopher Callan, Scott Owens and William Kresz. The Planning Board’s unanimous recommendation and memorialized resolution will be transmitted to Township Council for its consideration at a future council meeting.