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Holmdel planner: proposed ordinance banning data centers is not inconsistent with master plan
Summary
The board's professional planner recommended that the planning board send a letter saying Ordinance 2026-16 (which would prohibit data centers in town) is not inconsistent with Holmdel's master plan. The board voted to forward that letter after debating definitions and accessory-use protections.
The Holmdel Township Planning Board voted to send a letter to the Township Committee finding that Ordinance 2026-16 — a proposed ordinance to prohibit data centers in all zones of the township — is not inconsistent with the town master plan.
Kate, the board's professional planner who was sworn in for the Section 26 review, told the board the ordinance "provides a definition for data centers and it prohibits them in all zones of the township of Holmdel." She recommended the board approve drafting and sending a letter stating the proposed ordinance is not inconsistent with the master plan before the Township Committee proceeds to second reading and adoption.
Board members supported the overall goal of protecting environmental and infrastructure resources but spent much of the discussion focusing on whether the ordinance's definitions could accidentally bar small, on-site server rooms or accessory data storage used by local businesses. The planner and members noted the board could recommend clarifications to preserve accessory uses and leave fine-grained determinations to the zoning officer or the Township Committee.
