Okay. I'd like to call to order the township of La Pacon Planning Board meeting reorganization and regular meeting. Uh it's 7:00 p.m. here January 28th, 2026. If everyone would bow their head for a
moment of silence. and stand for the oath of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice
for all. on the main. >> Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided indicating the time and place of the meeting in accordance with chapter 231 of the public laws of 1975 by advertising a notice in the star
ledger and the express times and by posting a copy on the bulletin board in the municipal building. Okay. Okay. The next order of business is to appoint, reappoint, or swear in uh class 2 Terry Lawler, class 3 James
Pledo, class 4 Lou Hardy, and class 4 alternate Brian Weekes. If you would stand and repeat after me, I and say your name. >> I do solemnly swear that I will support
the Constitution of the United States. And so we swear I support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same
>> that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same >> and to the governments established in the United States >> to the government established in the United States >> and in this state >> and in this state >> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people >> and that I will faithfully impart
iversely and justly perform and justice perform >> all the duties of the office of member of the planning board >> all the office of member class three planning board member >> according to the best of my ability >> according to the best of my ability
>> so help me God >> okay so on the right hand side you will sign your name on the top line and put your address and then hand those to Oh. All right. >> Oh, man.
>> What's your name? Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, I'm going to call the role. members Coyle >> here. >> Koy >> here. >> George >> here. >> Hardy >> here.
>> Lawler Nuchi >> here. >> Pledo >> here. >> Weeks >> here. >> Uh vice chairwoman De Leo >> here. >> And that's it. So the next order of business is the election of officers. I'm going to do all three and then I'll
do a roll call at the end. So, I'd like to open the floor for nominations for the board chair. Would anyone like to nominate the board chair? >> I'd like to nominate Bob Hansen again.
>> I'll second that. >> Okay. Any other nominations? Moving on. I'd like to hear a nomination for vice chair. I'll second it. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. >> And the nomination for the board secretary. >> I nominate Beth Bill. >> Thank you very much. >> She doesn't get a choice.
>> It's 2004. Okay. And so we need a motion to approve the nominees. I'll make that motion. >> And a second. >> Second. >> Okay. And I will roll call that. Members Coyle, >> yes.
>> Koi, >> yes. >> George, >> yes. >> Hardy, >> yes. >> Muchi, >> yes. >> Pledo, >> yes. >> Weeks, >> yes. >> And vice chairwoman Dio, >> yes. >> Good. >> Uh, the next order of business is the reorganization consent agenda. We have
resolutions one through five with appointments of the annual meeting calendar. Uh James Bryce is our attorney. Daniel Block is our planner. Adam Wnooki as engineer and to adopt our rules and procedures for the governments of
meetings. And I will do that uh all on one motion. >> Okay. In a second. >> I'll second it. >> Okay. And I'll roll call that. Members Coyle. Yes. >> Koi. >> Yes. >> George. >> Yes. >> Hardy. >> Yes.
>> Muchi. >> Yes. >> Toledo. >> Yes. >> Weeks. >> Yes. >> Vice chairwoman Deio. >> Yes. >> All right. And following that. >> Yes. >> Did everyone get the minutes that was here?
>> Yeah. The December 17th minutes. Yes. >> And any corrections? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> You can second. Okay. And then I'll roll call that. Uh members Coyle
>> abstain. >> Coy, >> yes. >> George, >> abstain. >> Hardy, >> yes. >> Manguchi, >> abstain. >> Pledo, >> abstain. >> Weeks,
>> abstain. >> Vice chairwoman Dio. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. You're adopted. Okay. Um, uh, of the resolution for the one, uh, 1179 Route 22 greenhouse dispensary.
>> Any questions, comments, corrections? >> I I will only call uh those that were here. >> Can we make a resolution or a >> motion? >> A motion to approve the resolution. motion.
>> You're going to second that. >> Okay. And I'll roll call that. >> Members Koi. >> Yes. >> Vice Chairwoman Dio. >> Yes. >> And I think that was it. >> I was on vacation. Sorry. >> I feel like there were some of us here.
There were more. >> Wait a minute. Uh, yes. Member Hardy. >> Yes. Lawler wasn't here. Um, that's it because Mr. Samson isn't here
tonight. So, we have Koi Hardy. Lawler's not here and >> okay. So, >> ordinance or resolution is adopted >> and then the digital signage ordinance.
You >> hear from our planner? >> Yep. Um, so we we actually started working on updating the ordinance to allow for some digital signage. So we have I have a draft that I'll share with the board for the next meeting. Um, we had a discussion with the zoning
officer. There were some uh path you had some other things that he was asking questions about, but we determined after speaking with him we don't need to amend the zoning ordinance for any of those other items. So we're just going to do the sign ordinance. Um, so I'll have a draft for the board to review for the next meeting. >> Okay.
Is there a height a height restriction on it from the other side? >> We can put a height restriction on the signs. Yes. >> Now, >> right now they're Well, right now digital signs are not permitted. So, we're we're looking to amend the ordinance to allow them.
>> I mean, I really wouldn't even I'm just thinking you don't want to put the same size sign on 22 that you would in the residential area. >> Well, we probably follow the height restrictions for signs generally, >> right? Okay. And then whether it's digital or not I guess is going to be
defined in order coordinate coordinate coordinate health anymore whatever it's called health. No is now I don't just call it that piece of >> I think it's health. >> They have one it's already there. >> Architects.
>> There are a few in town. That's why >> high school's got one and so do architects. >> Yeah. >> And the elementary school now has one. >> They do. >> Yes. >> Yes they do. >> Yeah. So, the schools are exempt. So, that's how they can just do kind of put their own signs up. I don't know how the
um the the doctor's office got one, but >> I think we voted on that. >> Doctor's office was >> that might have been part of their coordinated health or what >> that might have been part of their site plan. I mean, >> does your resolution address rooms coming off of the lights? >> Probably not.
>> Yeah, we we can address the uh the brightness of the lighting. Yeah. They can be a dimable dim. It dims to like half brightness at night or something like that. >> I was still involved with the high school at that time. That's why that sign is actually cocked toward the back grass rail. So it wouldn't be, you know,
directly facing our home or anything like that. >> Right. >> So I just worry because there's been talk of that firehouse which is in residential area and there's also been talk in front of the emergency squad. So that's obvious. >> Yeah, brightness is brightness is real
important. That's why we call coordinator here. All right. Red school. >> All right. It's tipped. >> Yeah, it is tipped. >> It's tipped for a reason because it was up straight. >> The driver >> Yeah. >> degrees like you like we were saying.
>> Yeah. I think there were complaints from the architect sign as well. >> It has the same. >> Yeah, it is bright. >> There's got to be dimming feature to it. There there is dimming technology that you can require and it uh dims at different times of the day. So at night
it's not as bright. It comes the the brightness comes down. >> You could also shut them down too at certain times. >> Yeah, we can require them to be shut off at certain times. So >> could we retro retroactively apply those regulations to architects
>> or you're sort of >> No, they're going to be grandfathered because they already have the sign in. We can't ask them to like turn on the dimming feature >> if they come back to the board for any reason. We can, but we can't. >> Unless they put the sign up illegally, >> change the sign.
>> If they build the new sign. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I'm not sure, you know, when they put that. >> Exactly. >> I did level. >> Yeah. Do I have to do anything else with that one?
>> No. Now the next one. >> Okay. Last thing is the referral for discussion on the data centers. >> So the uh Warren County has put out a model ordinance for municipalities to consider adopting which defines and then
prohibits data centers. So, if that's something this township is interested in not wanting to have a data center, um, we can take this ordinance and make it, you know, something that you could consider and adopt for the township. You
>> mean like a business data center? >> No, data center. >> So, in the new trend is instead of warehouses because warehouses were pretty we saturated the market. So the new thing is a data center which is a
similar size building just filled with wires and computers. Um >> requires a lot of water too. >> It needs a lot of water for cooling. A lot of electricity >> electricity. >> We almost had one out where the solar fuel is on road. >> That's what it was supposed to be years ago.
>> Should have like green. So the the model ordinance specifically defines a data center and then you you make it a prohibited use. Um because right now the ordinance doesn't allow
data centers. So it's it's technically already prohibited but this is just makes it very clear we don't want that here >> because we did have data centers in the ordinance at one time >> in the RLM zone. I think that was the idea was like warehouse invention. The intention where the solar field was was to put a data center
there. There was like Bank of America around water. >> So water and the power, but overall it's there's no trucks. There's less employees, >> right? >> That's the benefit. >> There are there are tradeoffs. >> It's something that you could put in one
of those spaces that not a warehouse. without it. >> We want to shut ourselves up. >> Yeah. >> I >> like you said the ordinance already proven to do it. >> Our ordinance >> Well, I have to look confirm that our >> Yeah. Adam mentioned that it might be a
permitted use in Maryland. >> Oh, okay. >> Cuz right, we got sued by NFI because we outlawed warehousing, but I don't know with that removal of warehousing back in 2020, did we also remove data centers? because I think data centers were permitted at some at one time
>> in the Bank of America because of Bank of America and I don't know that we took it out >> open to getting sued just like >> no you wouldn't get sued if there's an application that's pending on the table >> if they're about to submit and you outlaw it >> then you get sued which is what happened
with the >> but if if there's nothing on the horizon >> if we outlaw it because we heard about something coming in then you get sued >> I forgot that that was yeah they were right >> yeah that's why we got sued for that. >> Chairman, it's good to see you.
>> Extra pretty much. >> Sorry about that, guys. >> We've all We saved all the hard questions. >> Oh, all right. Oh, you got through it already. >> Yeah, we're at the last agenda item. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> Well, thank you for presumably. Keep
your ch last agenda item >> is on the data center it up. >> Yeah, you know, don't forget back when
the industrial zone district was amended and in the master plan, mayor, I think that you can confirm this. The entire point was to try to attract data centers rather than >> very Yeah. >> You can limit the size of those data
centers if you're worried about the electricity pool. >> Yeah. They really don't need as much space, >> right? You don't have to have a million square foot warehouse. You know, the size of you can have 500,000 foot warehouse. >> They bring people that go to stores and fast food restaurants.
>> You could put a burden on us as a trying to see if it's still in the ROI zone. flexible warehouse >> unless it wasn't >> you know and I'll leave this to the engineers. >> No, I don't see it there.
>> Maybe we took it out. >> I think we had it in there even >> what the data center >> that every employee for has had to be >> No, it's here. Computer and data processing centers. >> I remember. Okay. >> So, it is here. >> Which what letter is that? >> That's prohibited or
>> it's permitted. ROM research office manufacturing zone permitted uses farms industries of the processing materials manufacturing light manufacturing of machines fabrication of metal products wood paper cement or concrete electronic
components dairy food and vegetable printing and publishing offices for business and professional administrative purposes computer and data processing centers scientific research laboratories office park and some other things mini warehouse self things like that. So, it
is still permitted in the zone computer and data processing centers. >> And there's no doubt that they they take a lot of electricity, but in that one letter in the I guess coming from the the board of freeholders.
>> Yeah, I didn't see that letter. I have to look at >> freeholders. I guess commissioners, county commissioners. Um, you know, there's an indication about the water usage. Now, they do use a lot of chillers, but I thought from my prior experience with data centers, they recycle a lot of water.
>> That's what I was going to say. It would it wouldn't make sense to pump it out of the ground, cool, and then dump it somewhere. >> Yeah. Like you want to recycle it if you can. >> That was my experience. Here's what they did on uh the one was supposed to go over here. I don't remember, but they they needed two pipes. Had to come from
two different townships and two different sections. All right? Because if if Lopez shuts down, the system will thrive if you don't have that water. So they needed two separate spots coming from two separate places. So there's not a lot of that in this town. You know
what I mean? So you're kind of locked under really striker road. >> They're very specific about where they go and the car, the location, the proximity has a lot to do with that and the water. Yeah. >> But there's still property down there that would fit that >> Yeah.
>> that area. The my really only experience was down in central Jersey with data centers. It was kind of interesting applications because one of them had like super security like there was things blacked out even from the site plan perspective for you know for
protection >> details or yeah certain details were not sure where you put it now behind where the mall is. What about behind bar plastics? That's like where they're now suing us. >> Okay. You got the area up on the high of the
highway. All right. Right above your your I don't know what you want to call it. Greenhouse dispensary. All right. Um all that where the ice cream shop was and everything. All that is is back on
>> you know mean you have it doesn't have to be >> inside the town. >> It can be on the outskirts of the town. >> You know what I mean? You got different areas and stuff. So >> I I know a lot of towns want to for very similar reasons and encourage them
because low traffic, >> great ratable. >> Yes. >> Very little like appreciable impact to the community because they're not manned if it's good >> and your grid usually goods better. >> Yeah. They need demand of the grid. So our electricity would be used more, but
I think it's like gets up faster. It gets it's demanded more. So we're priority. It's like I'm on the grid for the hospital. Okay. The longest I've ever been out of power has been 15 minutes since I've own a house for 38 years. >> Does that mean our infrastructure would have to change here then? Like any of
the electrical or that's the grid that they'd have to pay for to do that power company, right? >> Yeah, that would be an offsite improvement that would be on that because >> we don't provide those utilities and they they'd be doing that and they're tired. That would be the same with the
water cuz wasn't the other ordeal with the warehouse where um although the project got denied for other reasons cuz the other resources weren't there. That's not leaving us open to that, right? Like if they say, "Well, we you approved the data center, but now you're not going to bring us another water
man." Does that leave the township open for a lawsuit then? Because >> you know, they >> we can't deny them due to uh >> we don't do water. >> Yeah. and >> the water company says there's no service, there's no ability. >> Yeah. And that's not our required
provision. Uh the what you're probably thinking about is sewer >> and the limitation that we have for sewer, but data centers don't they don't really have a lot of sewer. >> 10 person parking lots for like half a million >> what are you doing with all that water?
Probably dumping a portion of it. They're probably not leaving 100% of it in the building. >> I I my experience was that there wasn't a lot of sewer. It was a lot of recycled water that that was just going back a few years, quite a few years now. But >> the biggest negative I've seen with
other projects, there's a few in Mount Bethl and like the Belvadier area is that like once they take that power, some of these other projects won't have that power for future use. So now you're like deeming this property that would have had that potential pretty much useless to any similar use of that kind.
So I don't I don't know how that works, but that's what I've heard. >> That's limited by grid supply, though. Yeah. >> Right. >> You can't have multiple like >> Yeah. It's not like we're pulling >> there's a peak of like data center, >> right? Which is why they're so specific about where
>> big question is right now is if we want to go along with the county and shut ourselves up >> basically. >> I Well, I mean that's really a a policy decision of the town. I mean, you know, I don't think that data centers are inherently
bad like they're presenting in this ordinance. There are pros and cons to every use and if it's in the right spot, maybe it makes sense. >> And don't forget, historically, you guys have encouraged that type of use. >> Yeah. >> I don't know if it'll ever come to
fruition, but I I don't know if it's a great policy for the town to reverse that course and try not to whether or not they'll ever come. So you discourage and you still go back and and and put it as okay what we would
like to do is is every is look back on township has the rights to be as long as they qualify for who they are hire first cuz that was back when the other place was going in every employee had to be from there first I have that writing >> I don't think you people were going to
go there I don't know if that because I saved >> where the soul >> warehouse redevelopment >> yeah down on strikers road where solar >> where solar field is. >> All right. Every employee had that applied for little pack on township as long as they met criteria had rights over everybody else.
>> All right. That was part of the part of going to be part of the agreement. But that makes our town more valuable, more precious. >> You can't I in my opinion, you can't put that as a requirement in ordinance. >> That's what I was. >> If there was some type of developers agreement or redevelopment agreement
>> where you could try to sneak that in and do that, that may be approve. if they agreed to agree to it. Yeah, >> I think that it would just be a recommendation back to the governing body to this extent to say leave it as is. If you're inclined to >> leave it as is, I don't think that
there's anything that you need to do. >> Positives and negatives, I >> if there were any concerns. Right now, it's just a permitted use. You could also, if there were concerns, you could make it a conditional use and add certain types of conditions, you know, to to limit where it goes or how it
goes, things like that. But >> right now, it's just it's just allowed. >> The things I've seen, it's in the news all the time. It's like I know the water usage, but I've never researched what is the water demand and how much water do they need and is it it's based on the
amount of cooling and heating they need. Can they use cooling towers or cooling ponds? you know, there's ways of probably mitigating the water usage there and managing it. The other thing is I, you know, I've seen a bunch of things and I think the EPA even got involved recently that they're running
like turbine generator, basically like jet engines that run on natural gas or diesel. So like something like on-site power generation, who you want to restrict that? If you want to put a data center in and the grid doesn't have enough power, well then you can't have a data center. You can't make your own
power on site, >> which is what's happening with some of these >> was two pipes. One from Lakon, one from uh uh >> where is that? Is that is that a cancelled down there? >> Oh, the one the one for Bank of America
15 years ago 12in >> probably 20 years ago. I was going to say at least 15 years ago. >> How big was that back then even? >> Is there a correlation? >> Half a million square feet. >> How many? A million? >> I don't I'm asking >> I don't know exactly. >> Yeah, I don't know.
>> I don't remember. But it was it was going to take a lot of that solar fuel was going to be was supposed to be it. >> So it was a good size, you know. >> So >> how does a data center affect the residential areas around as far as
energy and stuff goes? >> Is there an effect at all on residential? I I don't know if you know listen I'm no no no no no electrician or any of that but I think that one of the things with PM
you know with the interconnector and everything with the grid they're going to make sure that there's plent there's the power is energized and >> right I don't think JCPNL can allow like the data center to come online and the
entire township goes dim that that wouldn't happen but as far is, you know, assuming that there is no on-site, you know, jet. >> Like maybe that's the thing. Like that's what I've seen recently that was big in the news that they're running like 12 generators, 12 turbine generators on
site to power >> a lot of noise in the town. >> It's like running 10 jet engines and then those jet engines are making electricity. >> Oh, would love a lot of >> So maybe the recommendation >> and that would be crazy. Maybe the recommendation of the of the planning board >> making it a conditional use. >> Yeah. is to put in various conditions
about you know has to be no on-site power generation >> right >> besides solar let's say >> right solar is okay but yeah we don't want jet engines running on diesel fuel >> to power it up until JCPNL comes in brings a pipe big enough for power
something like that would be important >> that may be the recommendation >> if if you guys are responding >> may have a power outage only >> yeah I guess I mean yeah I don't know how many generators You need to run a data center that size >> when you really want a lot
backup generator for that kind of power, >> right? You have to have sound, >> but it's not permanent. If if the board is inclined, I would just if somebody wanted to make a motion, you could say recommendation with the board was to maintain it as a
use within the township and evaluate possibly conditional or making it a converting it to a conditional use to limit on-site power generation >> and other, you know, negative impacts. You know, we'd have to do some research on that. >> I'll make that motion based on
recommendation. I'll >> second. short hand. Um, I'll do a roll call on that. Um, members Coyle, >> yes. >> Koi, >> yes. >> George, >> yes. >> Hardy, >> yes. >> Manguchi, >> yes. >> Pledo,
>> abstain. >> Weeks, >> yes. >> And vice chairwoman Dio. >> Yes. What was the digital sign? >> We have digital signs within the town and we don't have a digital or an ordinance that allows them, prohibits
them. So, our planner um is going to have something ready for us at our February meeting. >> Okay, >> sounds good. >> Okay, was that a wrap? The other thing I will have for you at the February meeting is we have to amend the affordable housing plan.
>> Motion. >> All in favor? >> We're going to have to notice that, too. >> We are going to have to notice that. It was a public hearing. >> We don't But we're here. We're not doing >> zoning ordinances, right? >> We do not have any new zoning
ordinances. We do have to do a new affordable housing ordinance.