VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A site plan for a proposed data center in Van Buren Township was approved by the planning commission Wednesday night.
The Van Buren Township Planning Commission reviewed site plans for a controversial 280-acre data center development at Haggerty Road and I-94, with some members saying they had no choice but to move the proposal forward despite ongoing community backlash.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
The site plan for the data center proposal, which is being called "Project Cannoli," passed with a 5-2 vote. The proposal will now head to the township board.
The proposed development by Panattoni Development would include five buildings on currently vacant land and is projected to become the largest taxpayer in Van Buren Township and one of the top five taxpayers in Wayne County.
"I think the thing for people to understand is that data centers in a community are a huge net benefit for a community, so we're projecting to be the largest tax payer in Van Buren Township and one of the top five tax payers in Wayne County," Adam Kramer from Panattoni Development said.
Panattoni, along with partner DTE and builder Walbridge, presented the project and addressed community concerns, maintaining there would be no negative impact to the area.
Planning commissioners said they were impressed with the thoroughness of the presentation but expressed concerns about a proposed 7-acre power substation. They requested detailed diagrams and written guarantees to hold Panattoni accountable for their commitments.
Related coverage: Sterling Heights City Council approves moratorium on data centers
Community reaction remained mixed during the meeting. While some residents said they felt more informed, others maintained skepticism about the project's potential impacts.
"Very doubtful. I think they are probably omitting some very specific information to twist numbers to make it seem like it's going to be a little bit better than it actually is," resident Megan Daniels said.
John Bendzick, who attended the meeting representing his son-in-law, suggested the decision should go to voters.
"You need to get a petition out, a referendum vote on the primary in August," Bendzick said.
Related: Check out our full coverage on data centers in Southeast Michigan
Residents continue to express concerns about noise pollution, utility usage and potential impacts on local wildlife as the data center development trend expands across southeast Michigan communities.
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