Summit is moving to block a new type of development before it arrives: large-scale data centers.
The Common Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday, July 7, that would prohibit data centers citywide and limit accessory server rooms in commercial buildings to 12,000 square feet.
The proposal builds on changes recommended by the Planning Board, which focused on making the rules easier for zoning officials to enforce.
The ordinance would:
- Ban data centers as a permitted land use under Summit’s development regulations.
- Limit accessory server rooms to 12,000 square feet, down from an earlier 15,000-square-foot proposal.
- Prevent property owners from splitting server space across connected buildings to avoid the size cap.
- Tighten the definition of a data center by removing language that could allow facilities with some office space to avoid classification.
City planners said the goal is to protect limited commercial space for developments that create more long-term jobs. Planner Joe Burgess told the Planning Board that data centers require major construction but create few permanent positions.
“While data centers can generate a lot of construction jobs, once that’s built, there’s no jobs,” Burgess said.
Summit joins several New Jersey municipalities that have moved to restrict data centers as communities debate their impact on jobs, land use and electricity demand.
The City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed ban Tuesday, July 28, before taking a final vote. The hearing details have not yet been announced.
