Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Livingston County Planning Commission on Wednesday, voted unanimously to deny the initial re-zoning request for the proposed data center in Howell Township, drawing loud applause from scores of residents who continue to voice their opposition to the project.

Commissioner Paul Funk moments before the vote, told the audience the data center backers had quietly asked the Road Commission to move or shift a portion of Grand River Avenue heading into Fowlerville, to make way for future development.

"Not all the facts get on the table," he told WHMI News. "Like my example at the end, things that I know, I had to share with my commission peers and the public. I'm pretty sure a high percentage of these people had no idea that was another reason we wanted to save the footprint."

Funk acknowledge the issue could come back to the county's planning commission, depending on what changes are made to the plan, and how the Howell Township Board chooses to proceed.

Residents continue to raise concerns about water and electricity consumption by data centers, keeping the rural character of the area and what they perceive as a lack of transparency surrounding the entire project.

Next up is Thursday's Howell Township Board of Trustees meeting, where a moratorium on data centers will be discussed. That meeting also will be held in the Howell High School auditorium, beginning at 6:30 pm.