Montville Approves Data Center Review As Residents Push For More Protections

MONTVILLE, NJ — Montville officials moved ahead Tuesday with a Master Plan reexamination addressing large-scale data centers, as local group Montville Rising pressed the Township Committee to add more protections while that review moves forward.

Montville Rising is a local, nonpartisan community organization that participates in civic engagement, peaceful action and community events and works with the Montville chapter of the Visibility Brigade.

Resolution 2026-350 was included on Tuesday's consent agenda following the public portion of the meeting. The resolution authorizes the Montville Township Planning Board to undertake an “Emerging Issues Master Plan Reexamination.”

During that public portion, Montville Rising representative Neeke Swart asked the committee to amend the resolution before adopting it.

Swart outlined four requests included in a Montville Rising petition: direct the Planning Board to examine “computer and data processing centers” and recommend excluding stand-alone data centers; set a date for the Planning Board's report; begin drafting an ordinance alongside the reexamination; and define “computer and data processing centers” so the term does not include stand-alone data centers.

In a press release provided to Patch, Montville Rising described Resolution 2026-350 as “an important first step” while arguing that additional action was needed. The group’s petition similarly asked the Township Committee to “amend the resolution before adopting it”. Among the requested changes was setting a date for the Planning Board's report to be delivered.

Township officials, however, said the planning work was already well underway. During the committee's discussion, Township Administrator June Hercek said an analysis had already been conducted and that “the bulk of the work has already been completed.”

Hercek said the Planning Board authorized a study of data centers in March, and Township Planner Joseph Burgis presented his preliminary analysis to the board at its Sept. 8 meeting.

Township Attorney Fred Semrau also addressed the requested deadline. He said the governing body could not give deadlines to the Planning Board and stressed the importance of being careful with the process. He said officials had already discussed an ordinance and the planned reexamination.

He said setting a deadline could give someone who opposes a future ban, prohibition or definition grounds to argue that an improper deadline was imposed during the process. He said such a challenge could taint the process and that the Planning Board should not be given deadlines.

The attorney also told the committee there were “no applications pending as far as we're aware.”

Resolution 2026-350 authorizes the Montville Township Planning Board to undertake an emerging issues Master Plan reexamination.

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