Residents Raise Data Center Concerns At Town Hall

State Sen. Jon Bramnick’s May 27 town hall in Westfield turned into an extended discussion of a proposed artificial-intelligence data center in neighboring Kenilworth, as residents pressed for details on power demand, water use, noise and regional spillover. The meeting began at 6 p.m. at the Westfield Italian American Club and invited questions from residents across Legislative District 21, according to a Patch notice before the event. TAPinto reported Bramnick spoke for nearly 90 minutes and took questions on several issues, including the data center. The project at the center of the discussion is a proposed $1.8 billion facility on the former Merck property in Kenilworth, a site that has drawn opposition at recent borough meetings and protests. (patch.com) The data-center debate has spread beyond Kenilworth because residents from Westfield and other Union County communities have argued the project’s effects would not stop at the borough line. At recent public meetings, neighbors and local officials have called for fuller impact studies and more detailed mitigation plans before additional approvals move ahead. (tapinto.net) ### Why were Westfield residents focused on a project in Kenilworth? Westfield residents were reacting to a Kenilworth project that has become a regional issue in Union County. Patch reported that emotional testimony filled a packed Kenilworth Borough Council meeting on May 19 over the proposed AI data center planned for the former Merck property. (patch.com) Legislative District 21 includes parts of Union, Morris and Somerset counties, and Bramnick’s town hall was advertised as a forum for concerns affecting communities across the district. That gave residents from Westfield a public venue to question how the Kenilworth project could affect surrounding towns. ### What exactly is residents’ biggest concern? (patch.com) A 250-megawatt electrical load became one of the most repeated numbers in the public debate. Patch reported that Kenilworth resident Danielle Palmie described the approved project at a May 19 Planning Board meeting as including a 280,000-square-foot building converted to “24/7 industrial energy use,” a 250-megawatt electrical load, a 50,000-square-foot exterior chiller yard and 31 diesel generators. (patch.com) Water use and drought conditions were another flashpoint. Patch reported that resident Imani Nam Burton questioned how an AI data center fit with ongoing drought conditions in New Jersey, while other residents raised broader concerns about infrastructure strain, flooding and environmental review. ### What have supporters and officials said in response? (patch.com) A $9.7 million annual tax gap has been part of the case made by supporters. Patch reported that Merck’s departure in 2023 left an estimated hole equal to about 28% of Kenilworth’s municipal budget, and supporters told the Borough Council the project could help restore tax base and economic activity at the site. (patch.com) Tim McConnell, a union business agent representing about 1,500 families, told the May 19 council meeting that union workers were already on site and pointed to a planned closed-loop cooling system intended to reduce water use. Councilman William Mauro also said concerns about water usage had been overstated, according to Patch. (patch.com) ### Has the project already been approved? Kenilworth’s Planning Board approved the redevelopment application earlier, but the broader political and planning fight has continued. CBS New York reported the board had already approved the redevelopment, while Patch reported residents later argued the borough’s 2026 Master Plan did not fully reflect the scale of what had been approved. (patch.com) On May 19, the Planning Board unanimously tabled the 2026 Master Plan after hours of public comment focused heavily on the Galloping Hill Technology Campus project. Planning Board Chairman Rich Picerno said the Master Plan does not approve or deny specific developments, but board member Anthony Laudati moved to table the plan so professionals could review the concerns raised. (cbsnews.com) ### What happens next? Westfield’s public agenda page shows local boards continue to post meeting materials online, while Kenilworth’s data-center debate remains active through borough meetings and regional coverage. Residents looking for the next formal step in the planning fight are likely to keep watching Kenilworth board agendas and council sessions as officials review the concerns already raised. (patch.com) Kenilworth’s next milestones are expected to come through borough proceedings tied to the Master Plan review and any future site-related actions. Bramnick’s May 27 town hall did not decide the project, but it added another public forum where named residents and local officials put specific questions about power, water, noise and infrastructure on the record. (patch.com) (westfieldnj.gov)