HOLMDEL, NJ — Holmdel Township has joined municipalities across the Garden State in the fight against data centers, but a proposed development at Bell Works could soon threaten that.
On Tuesday, July 21, the township introduced an ordinance to establish data centers as a prohibited use in Holmdel.
Later in August, the Township Committee approved that ordinance, but the timing of their approval may have come too late, as on July 24, Inspired by Somerset Development (the developer behind Bell Works) submitted an application that includes the construction of a data center.
During a recent Township Committee meeting, Township Attorney Michael Collins explained that, because their application was submitted before the data center ban was put in place, Somerset's site plan application will have the benefit of the zoning that was in place prior to the data center ban being approved.
Though the township's prior zoning will apply to the application, Mayor Rocco Impreveduto said that the application will still need to go through "the same evaluative process" that everything that goes before the Planning Board does.
"The applicant is obligated to obtain site plan approval," Collins said. "That requires meeting various proofs that are necessary to obtain that. They filed a lengthy application to the Planning Board, and you can trust that the Planning Board will do its job with its professionals to review that, have the necessary hearings, and serve as the adjudicative body of that."
"This statement is strictly with respect to whether or not there's going to be an issue on the permitted use, but nothing as it pertains to the merits of the application," he continued.
Mayor Impreveduto added that the Planning Board is "its own semi-judicial body," and that based on the rules or facts presented to them, the board will determine whether or not to move forward with the application.
"Any comment we [the Township Committee] make to the good or to the bad or to the veracity of the application could be seen as influencing, one way or another, the Planning Board's vote," Impreveduto said. "...Legally, the committee can't comment on a pending Planning Board application."
While Somerset's application will still need to go before the Planning Board for approval, many residents have expressed their concerns about a data center being constructed in Holmdel.
During the committee's Aug. 11 meeting, residents took to the floor to express their concerns about the power that would be used for a data center, whether AI will be involved, and how a data center may affect people's perception of and willingness to move to Holmdel.
"I'm here as a concerned parent; I'm concerned about the data center," one resident said during the meeting. "I think it's a great idea to have this ordinance...but I also live close to Bell Works, so I'm concerned."
The resident went on to say that she and her child go to Bell Works often, and that "there's lots of kids there, and lots of neighborhoods like mine around Bell Works."
"We hear about the noise, about the water, and 'what about our property values?' as well," she continued. "I think the health and noise are most of the concern, but also, are people going to want to move into Holmdel if we have this? I think that's an important point."
According to a report from the Asbury Park Press, the plans submitted by Somerset show a two-story, 40-megawatt data center that would replace an existing two-story structure southwest of the main building.
There will be 34 car parking spaces and two loading docks, the Asbury Park Press reported.
In a message to Holmdel residents on the Bell Works website, Founder & CEO Ralph Zucker said that in 2012, Holmdel adopted the Bell Works Redevelopment Plan and approved a data center as one of the permitted uses.
"As laid out in the original Redevelopment Plan, our proposed project will replace an existing, aging structure in a remote area of the campus, well removed from the main Bell Works building," Zucker said.
He went on to clarify that, at 40 megawatts, the proposed data center is "less than one-tenth the size of the 300-500-plus megawatt hyperscale data centers driving much of the recent public conversation," and that the facility will use a closed-loop cooling system that recirculates water through heat exchangers.
Zucker also emphasized that the facility "sits in an isolated portion of the property, out of view from surrounding neighborhoods and roadways, and will not add traffic to local roads."
"We know the Township Committee took action on data centers generally last week, and we respect that process," Zucker said. "Our application was filed under the zoning Holmdel adopted in 2012, and it will now go through its own full review before the Planning Board."
Zucker went on to say that Bell Works welcomes questions and feedback on the project, and is "committed to providing the Holmdel community with the facts."
Full project details, technical specifications and a running FAQ are posted and will be updated here as the application moves forward.
"We value our relationship with Holmdel and are proud to be part of this community," Zucker said. "We look forward to continuing to contribute to its future."
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