Community members showed up to the Howell Township Planning Commission meeting Tuesday to push for a six-month moratorium on the proposed data center.
“I am speaking on behalf of more than 400 Howell Township residents who signed a petition for a data center moratorium, as well as over 2,000 Livingston County residents,” said Lauren Prebenda, one of the organizers of Stop the Data Center – Livingston. “I would like to, on their behalf, request today that the planning commission please put forth a formal recommendation to the township board for them to pass the data center moratorium at the time of their November township board meeting.”
If approved, the data center project will be the largest project in Livingston County history. It will encompass over a thousand acres of farmland, and the $1 billion initial capital investment will immediately make it the county’s largest taxpayer; it would also open the door for similar projects down the road. While proponents point to the financial benefits of the development, opponents cite concerns about rising electricity costs, the strain on the area’s water supply, as well as light and sound pollution.
An estimated 60 people attended the meeting, with attendees standing against the wall and even in the hallway to listen.
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Pushing for the moratorium came from the public looking for more transparency on the project, and who are worrying about ruining farmland and wanting the township to respect the word of the public. The opponents are hoping an extra six months will allow the township to create ordinances to protect itself.
An attendee from Handy Township came to the meeting and spoke against the data center.
“You guys have nothing to do with what Handy Township does with that parcel, but they’re not going to get their parcel in Handy if they don’t get it first in Howell, because it’s the majority side of it,” said Michael Barkley, a Handy Township resident.
Upcoming meetings
• The Livingston County Planning Commission is meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center, Howell High School Auditorium, 1200 W. Grand River Ave. The meeting was relocated because a large crowd is expected.
Click here to read the packet information related to the data center.
• The Howell Township Board meeting — rescheduled to accommodate the expected large crowd — is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center, Howell High School Auditorium, 1200 W. Grand River Ave.
Opponents of the data center are hoping for the moratorium to be approved during that meeting. The agenda for the meeting is now available, and it includes the proposed data center moratorium ordinance that would halt the “establishing, permitting, consideration, approval, location, construction, and/or installation of any data centers in Howell Township” for six months.
