Secaucus Mayor Now Wants A 'Pause' On Data Centers

SECAUCUS, NJ — In an abrupt about-face, Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli is now calling for a pause on data centers in town.

On Wednesday, Gonnnelli sent a letter (read it here) to New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) President Jill Hirsch, saying the town of Secaucus "would like to pause additional applications for data centers to allow time for further discussion and analysis."

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Gonnelli also wants to meet with Hirsch to discuss "the zoning and land-use regulations concerning data centers within the industrial district of Secaucus."

Gonnelli says the NJSEA has control over the land use in about 90 percent of Secaucus. That includes where CoreSite would like to open the town's newest data center, a currently empty warehouse at 215 County Avenue, as Patch reported Tuesday.

Is it true the NJSEA has control over so much of Secaucus?

The NJSEA does indeed have zoning jurisdiction on 88 percent of the land in town. This is according to an agreement set up in the 1960s, when the town of Secaucus decided to become part of the Meadowlands Commission, a coalition of 14 towns. The coalition may have been formed at the time to protect small towns in the estuary from illegal dumping.

For months now, Gonnelli has touted the benefits of data centers. In this article in January, Gonnelli said he welcomes data centers in town, saying they've helped give Secaucus the highest rateable base it's ever had. Rateables are property that has to pay taxes.

As recently as August, the town of Secaucus published this on the front-page of its town newsletter, saying "Whether we like it or not, data centers are here to stay" and "data centers are good for our town."

What made Gonnelli change his mind on data centers?

"All I'm saying is data centers are here to stay. There are already nine in town," he replied Wednesday. "And people say oh, Jersey City banned them. Well, Jersey City only banned them in their industrial part of town, which is a small part of town. They can still build data centers."

There's a lot of backlash in Secaucus against data centers. In the past year, residents have seen their electric bills skyrocket. Many are concerned about pollution and noise. Friday night's fuel spill, where 5,000 gallons of diesel from generators at Equinix data center poured into a creek, only fueled public anger against data centers.

If the CoreSite building gets approved on County Avenue, it would be Secaucus' 10th data center; there are already nine in operation. Some of those data centers have been here for years; others just opened in the past few years.

And in yet another plot twist, it now appears neither Secaucus nor the NJSEA want to take responsibility for which government agency approves the CoreSite proposal at 215 County Avenue.

Alexa Willbergh, a spokeswoman for NJSEA CEO Hirsch, said Wednesday that some towns in the Meadowlands district are permitted under the law to "opt out" of NJSEA review of certain types of applications. She maintains the CoreSite proposal is one of them.

"Secaucus is one of the towns that has opted out and, therefore, conducts its own review of those specific applications," she said. "It is our understanding that the CoreSite application is under review by the town of Secaucus."

Gonnelli did not immediately respond.

Gonnelli's letter Wednesday does not shut down the nine existing data centers in Secaucus. What he's asking for is a pause on future data center applications to open in town.

Read his Sept. 16 letter to the NJSEA here or here's the full text of it:

Re: Request for Meeting Regarding Data Centers

Dear Ms. Jill Hirsch, Esq.,

On behalf of the Town of Secaucus, I am writing to formally request a meeting with appropriate representatives of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority ("NJSEA") regarding the zoning and land-use regulations concerning data centers within the industrial district of Secaucus.

As the data center industry continues to expand, continued collaboration between the Town and the NJSEA will be important to ensure that future development is appropriately planned and regulated. The Town would like to pause additional applications for data centers to allow time for further discussion and analysis.

Accordingly, the Town would appreciate the opportunity to meet with the NJSEA to review and discuss the existing zoning regulations applicable to data centers within the industrial district. At your earliest convenience, please have your office contact mine to coordinate a date and time that is convenient for you.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. I look forward to working with you and the NJSEA on this important matter and continuing our collaborative efforts concerning the future of Secaucus and the Meadowlands region.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Gonnelli