Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Nothing is proposed but the Green Oak Township Board is continuing work to address the threat of potential data centers and other high resource facilities - and taking a hard stance when it comes to regulations.

The Board of Trustees recently adopted an amendment establishing a “High Resource Demand Facilities Overlay District” to the township’s zoning map. It covers six parcels where facilities such as data centers could be located.

Public hearings were held and a favorable recommendation was received from the Planning Commission.

An ordinance portion was earlier approved but it was stated additional amendments/regulations will be taken up by the Planning Commission.

Supervisor Mark St. Charles stated during the meeting “One thing about high demand facilities, let’s call it what it is data centers, it seems like every single day we are hearing something new - nothing good, it’s actually very bad, and so as we learn more, as I said when we adopted the ordinance, this is a living document and we should be adding more conditions and items that we see coming forward”.

St. Charles went on to clarify that if somebody comes in and wants to put a data center someplace where they have identified a spot “we can say no. I think this just gives us one more tool – I don’t see it happening, we don’t have anything proposed, but I think this board is putting itself in a much better position by being proactive”.

St. Charles clarified some items for WHMI after the meeting.

St. Charles said the Board has already passed the associated ordinance – which contains all of the text, conditions, and requirements if you want to put a data center in Green Oak Township. He said they are “extensive” but they are still adding more because they’re learning more day-by-day.

One amendment to be proposed – which St. Charles feels should actually probably be in every ordinance – would prohibit NDA’s or non-disclosure agreements. He said no employee, elected official, or anyone working on behalf of the township should be able to sign an NDA – “not gonna happen, I want to prohibit that”.

Other amendments would aim to restrict water usage and discharge to protect drinking water aquifers, and require data centers to be carbon-neutral.

St. Charles stressed “Again, the more we read, the more we listen, and try to weed through what is fact and what is fiction – in my mind, there’s nothing good, there’s nothing good, and there is a difference between A.I. data mining and A.I. crypto-mining”.

As for the selected areas where such facilities could be located, they are spread out across the township but in areas that have “the least impact on residents”.

St. Charles said one is on the north end of Rushton Road, which is a contaminated site and small but buildable. There are two sites on Spicer Road that also have some issues but St. Charles said “not my problem”. There’s another on Whitmore Lake Road that he said is probably on the small side that’s been backfilled with clay for years “but again not my problem”. Another site is next to the prison.

St. Charles again stressed that the board and township are just being proactive and pointed out they’ve been asked why not just institute a moratorium. His response? “That only buys you 12 months and then you gotta do what we’re already doing”.