Westfield Looks To Ban Data Centers In All Town Zoning Districts

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield is looking to ban data centers in every zoning district in town.

On Tuesday, the Town Council introduced General Ordinance No. 2026-25, which says data centers are a prohibited use in all zones within the Town of Westfield.

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Councilman David Keifer said he would support the ordinance while drawing a distinction between data centers generally and allowing them in Westfield.

"The fact that they are good for our country, though, doesn't mean they'd be good for our town," Keifer said. "And so to be blunt, sometimes it's just not in our backyard. And that's what this vote is for me."

Keifer also said, "We're not ready for it in our town. I don't think we ever would be."

After his remarks, Mayor Jeremy Berman said, "Well said."

The ordinance says the Town Council recognized growing public concern about data centers and their potential negative impacts.

The ordinance lists significant electricity and water consumption that may strain the electrical grid, increase the risk of outages, raise consumer energy costs and contribute to aquifer depletion.

It also cites the generation of excessive heat and ambient noise that can pose a public nuisance.

The ordinance also states that data centers are not presently permitted in Westfield because they do not meet the definition of any of the various permitted non-residential uses in the town's land use ordinance.

It says the term had not been defined in the ordinance and that adding a definition would remove any perceived ambiguity as to their non-residential use classification or type.

Under the amendment, a data center is defined as a facility whose primary services are the storage, management and processing of digital data, and that houses computer and network systems and related equipment.

The definition includes collocated data centers where multiple service and application providers house their computer and network systems.

It does not include server rooms, network facilities or computer processing facilities that are clearly incidental and subordinate to a permitted principal use on the property and operated solely for the occupant's internal operations.

On the roll call, Keifer, Jenn Gilman, Michal Domogala, Saunders, Reshma Adwar, Mike Armento, Vik Venkataraman and Berman voted yes.

Drew Pecker said he would recuse himself from the vote.

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