Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

The Howell Township Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny the proposal for the rezoning of farmland to build a data center.

Tuesday’s meeting was postponed by 30 minutes and moved to Howell High School. The Commission posted the change, citing safety concerns related to parking at the Township Hall. Residents from Howell Township and surrounding communities filled the Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center to make their voices heard.

During the call to the public, multiple concerns were raised, including ecological impacts such as water and soil contamination, property values and noise and light pollution.

Power outages were also cited as a major concern for residents. People questioned whether residences and small businesses would be prioritized over the data center in the event of an outage.

By far, the biggest concern was the lack of transparency in regards to who wanted to build the center. There has been a lot of speculation on who wants to build it, with Meta being put forth most often.

Some residents also called for the proposal to be tabled, giving time for further studies and research into possible impacts. Others called for it to be put on a ballot so it could be voted on during an election.

A change.org petition titled “Stop the Construction of Michigan’s Largest Data Center in Howell” was launched less than a week ago. At the time of writing, it had 1,961 signatures.

Spokesmen for the proposed data center offered answers to many of the questions raised by the public. They said there wouldn’t be an increase in electricity costs, the water supply could support the center and that they were going above the ordinances to limit the impact to the area. These included having larger setbacks and buffer zones, keeping 41% of the area “green space” and keeping noise levels at 55 decibels at the property line.

The meeting, which lasted over seven and a half hours, ended when the Commission voted against the proposal. They cited the changes that would have to be made to the Master Plan, something none of them were comfortable approving.

The Township Board will have the final say on whether the data center is approved. Their next meeting is Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Township Hall.