Vineland Data Center
Policy Notes - January 2026
Vineland data center: will the Pinelands heed this warning? Plus, good and bad deals for land protections. Policy Notes are designed to update the public on the activities of the Pinelands Commission, which have been summarized by Pinelands Alliance staff who attend all public meetings of the Commission.
Data Centers, Water Use, and Lessons from Vineland
Concerns about large-scale data centers continue to grow, particularly around water use and local oversight. Pinelands Alliance staff have been attending city council meetings and town halls regarding a data center under construction in Vineland, while also fielding calls about another potential data center from concerned residents of Monroe Township.
At January’s Pinelands Commission meeting, Pinelands Alliance staff shared these concerns during the public comment period. Commissioner Asselta, a Vineland resident, echoed these concerns forcefully. He urged Commission staff to write to DEP and call for a highly scrutinizing review of the project’s water impacts, noting that Vineland operates its own water and sewer systems and has limited ability to respond to future supply problems.
Commissioner Asselta also questioned the unusual use of the Urban Enterprise Zone program—legislation he helped design during his tenure as a NJ State Senator—arguing it was never intended to subsidize massive, international corporations after construction is already underway. He warned that what is happening in Vineland could easily happen elsewhere in New Jersey if communities fail to understand the full impacts of these projects.
Although Vineland lies outside the Pinelands, it draws from the same Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer that supplies both Pinelands residents and ecosystems. The concerns raised there apply directly to potential data centers within the Pinelands.
We are already hearing from residents in Monroe Township about the Hexa Redevelopment property, where “data center” was added as a permitted use last year through a familiar redevelopment loophole. A recently approved warehouse project with an unusually high water demand has raised fears that it may be a data center in disguise. Pinelands Commissioners should take heed of Vineland’s experience and proactively address impacts the Comprehensive Management Plan may not yet be prepared to handle.
New Egypt Raceway and Colliers Mills: A Bad Deal for the Public
Late last year, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposed transferring 4.54 acres of forested public land out of Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area to New Egypt Raceway in exchange for 21.58 acres of racetrack-owned wetlands. While the deal appeared to favor the public on paper, it proved to be a deeply flawed trade.
The wetlands involved are valuable ecosystems, but they were already protected under state law and the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan. Trading away irreplaceable public upland forest for land already constrained from development offered little real benefit to the public or the Pinelands.
More troubling was the context. For years, the Pinelands Commission had been attempting to hold the racetrack accountable for illegal construction of parking lots and buildings. We worry that transferring ownership may allow the developer to avoid accountability—rewarding a “build first, ask forgiveness later” approach.
In response, hundreds of people contacted the New Jersey State House Commission to oppose the deal and defend public land at Colliers Mills. Despite this outcry, and after a chaotic public hearing plagued by technical failures and interruptions, the Commission voted to approve the land transfer. The decision was deeply disappointing.
Still, the public response was not wasted. It created a clear record of opposition and highlighted the dangerous precedent of using public land to resolve private land-use conflicts. That record will matter as we continue to push for accountability and better stewardship of public lands.
Looking ahead, we remain hopeful that new leadership from the Governor’s office and a new NJDEP Commissioner will bring needed changes within Fish & Wildlife and ensure public land is no longer treated as a bargaining chip.
Black Run Preserve: Major Protections Now in Effect
There is far better news at the headwaters of the Black Run Preserve. New protections are now in effect, dramatically reducing how much development could occur on this beloved landscape.
The Black Run Preserve is a keystone of the Pinelands National Reserve. Under outdated zoning, up to 778 acres could have been bulldozed, degrading water quality and habitat for generations. Thanks to action by the Pinelands Commission, new zoning has reduced the potential number of homes from 270 to just 35.
The Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan amendments took effect on January 5, 2026. Evesham Township now has a year to implement corresponding zoning changes and has made a commendable effort to move quickly.
Even better, negotiations are underway to permanently preserve the land without any development. Burlington County has committed $5 million, the Pinelands Conservation Fund $3 million, and NJDEP and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation are working to finalize a Green Acres acquisition that would protect the land forever.
Months since the Pinelands Municipal Council last met: 39 months.
