Vineland Residents Blame AI Data Center Construction for Loud Humming Noise

A persistent low-frequency hum radiating from a massive AI data center under construction on South Lincoln Avenue has rattled northwest Vineland neighborhoods, leaving residents sleep-deprived and pushing the Cumberland County Department of Health to conduct sound-level measurements in the area between Lincoln Avenue and Hance Bridge Road near Pennsylvania Avenue.

Scott Montgomery, who lives roughly a half mile from the DataOne facility, said the noise is inescapable. "It's just been very annoying. It's unsettling because you can hear it right now, and if you want to sit out here and relax, you have this constant buzzing. It's not construction," he said. The sound, he added, intensifies after dark. "We're afraid it's even going to get worse, so it's just maddening to listen to this all the time. It's hard to fall asleep at night."

Neighbor Theresa Lewis described a different kind of toll: "You know you got this anxiety, or I do, about the noise and just the frustration."

Montgomery posted a recording of the hum to social media, and at least one Cumberland County resident's video of the noise has gone viral. Several residents who spoke with reporters said they had lived in the community for years before recently noticing the sound.

The DataOne facility is one of the largest industrial projects in South Jersey's recent history. Depending on the source, the building spans either 2.4 million or 2.6 million square feet. According to New Jersey 101.5, the center will reach 300 megawatts of power capacity and runs on 36 Bergen Engine units with a combined 403-megawatt potential, all fed by an existing natural gas pipeline and operating around the clock. The project is also reportedly backed by a multibillion-dollar AI deal tied to Microsoft, according to NJ 101.5, and is coming online in phases.

DataOne issued two statements addressing the complaints. In one, the company said it appreciated "the patience of the Vineland community during the temporary construction phase" and acknowledged "concerns about ambient noise in the area." In a second statement, the company took a firmer regulatory stance: "Our site is operating in full compliance with Vineland City noise ordinance limits. We will continue deploying sound reduction measures to minimize any impact on our neighbors."

The Cumberland County Department of Health confirmed it has fielded multiple complaints and dispatched staff to the area to take sound measurements, though investigators have not yet officially confirmed the data center as the source. "While complainants have shared where they believe the noise is coming from, our staff are working to confirm the exact source of the noise," the department said. The department also cautioned that complaints not tied to a specific measurable location complicate investigations and can slow responses to other public health concerns.

The noise controversy is not the first friction the project has generated. Because the site sits in an Urban Enterprise Zone at the corner of Lincoln and Sheridan avenues, nearby residents were not legally required to be notified before the redevelopment received its approvals, a gap the Pinelands Alliance has highlighted publicly. Environmental groups have also raised concerns about the facility's footprint above the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, one of South Jersey's primary drinking water sources, citing the project's heavy energy demands and on-site gas generation as potential risks.

With the center still coming online in phases and construction continuing, residents along the Lincoln Avenue corridor have little certainty about whether the hum will subside or grow louder as more of the facility activates.