BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A developer of the former Greymark office property has filed a lawsuit against Bridgewater over its data center ordinance and its impacts on the property at 1200 Route 22.
The complaint was filed Oct. 5 in Somerset County Superior Court by 1200 Route 22 Land Investors, LLC and 1200 Route 22 Land Holdings LLC against Bridgewater and the Township Planning Board.
The Township Council adopted the ordinance on Sept. 3, setting new regulations governing data centers and hyperscale data centers, including standards involving utilities, cooling, renewable energy, heat recovery, generators, noise and decommissioning security.
The filing says those rules were applied "whether or not the use is permitted by a specific Zone or Redevelopment Plan" and were intended to apply within the Greymark Office Tract Redevelopment Plan area.
The property owners argue that Bridgewater had already taken site-specific action on the tract.
The lawsuit says the Township Council adopted an ordinance on April 24, 2025, establishing the Greymark redevelopment plan, which "expressly identifies 'data centers' as a principal permitted use within the Redevelopment Area" and states, "The use, bulk, design and performance standards of this Redevelopment Plan shall supersede the zoning provisions of the Bridgewater Township Land Use Ordinances (Chapter 126) for all land within the Redevelopment Area."
The complaint also points to the Planning Board's Sept. 1 review of the ordinance.
According to the filing, the board's planner said the Township's most recent Master Plan Reexamination Report "did not make any recommendations about new goals or objectives that were really relevant to this."
The suit also says that when a council member questioned a provision that was "pretty broad," the planner responded that this was an "evolving issue."
The lawsuit is seeking for the court to declare Bridgewater's ordinance invalid, or alternatively unenforceable within the Greymark redevelopment area to the extent it conflicts with the redevelopment plan.
They also seek to block enforcement of the ordinance against their proposed development and request attorneys' fees, costs and other relief.
Bridgewater Township did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.
See the full lawsuit below:
1200 ROUTE 22 LAND INVESTORS, LLC v. Bridgewater Township by Alexis Tarrazi
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