VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Despite months of opposition from residents, Van Buren Township officials on Wednesday approved plans for a controversial Google data center campus, paving the way for a project already under construction and expected to bring years of development activity to the area.
The hyperscale data center campus will span 282 acres north of I-94, between Haggerty Road and I-275.
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Van Buren approves Google data center, other communities decide to slow down similar projects
Residents packed public meetings leading up to the decision, raising concerns about everything from noise and dust to environmental impacts, property values and water consumption.
“I have repeatedly expressed concerns about the potential effects of continuous low-frequency humming and total noise,” one resident told authorities.
Another resident argued that “noise and nuisance have no place in residential neighborhoods.”
Many residents said they felt their concerns were ignored throughout the approval process.
The developers, however, said the project was significantly modified in response to community feedback.
“We have worked hard over the past three years to incorporate as much community feedback as possible into the site plan and design,” said Adam Kramer, president of Panattoni Data Centers.
Kramer said the company has invested tens of millions of dollars in changes aimed at reducing impacts on nearby neighborhoods.
“Most residents won’t even know the data center is there just because visually you won’t see it. Out of sight, out of mind. But you will feel the benefits,” Kramer said.
Proponents say the development will create jobs and generate substantial tax revenue. Township officials said state law limits their ability to reject projects that meet zoning requirements.
“The planning commission, pursuant to Michigan state law, is required to approve site plans that meet the standards of the ordinance,” a township official said at the meeting.
Chronology of works
While debate over the project continues, construction work is already underway.
According to project documents, underground utility works associated with the development will be completed in eight phases. Most work will require temporary road closures near I-94 Service Drive, Van Buren Street and Old Haggerty Road.
The first phases of construction are expected to continue until the end of 2026, with additional work planned for early 2027.
The final phases are planned for March 2027 and will affect traffic on Haggerty Road. Rather than complete closures, drivers can expect alternating one-way traffic controlled by flaggers while work is underway.
A growing statewide debate
The municipality of Springfield in Oakland County has approved a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications while officials rewrite zoning regulations and study potential impacts on utilities, public safety and natural resources, according to a GovTech report. Municipality leaders said they were not prepared to evaluate a large-scale data center proposal without additional rules in place.
Detroit is also considering restrictions. According to Planet Detroit, the Detroit City Council approved a resolution calling for a two-year pause on permitting for new data centers while the city studies issues such as electricity demand, water consumption, noise and land use impacts.
Oxford Township went even further. According to Hoodline, city officials issued a one-year moratorium while developing regulations related to noise, cooling systems, electricity demand, generators, water consumption and possible decommissioning requirements. Public interest has been high, with hundreds of residents attending meetings on the issue.
Similar conversations also took place in Washington Township and Wixom. According to DataCenterBans.com, Wixom had already adopted a temporary moratorium before implementing stricter zoning requirements, including house setbacks, robust surveys and water protection measures.
The trend suggests that local governments are no longer just debating whether to permit data centers. Instead, many communities are wondering if they have regulations in place before major proposals arrive.
For some Van Buren Township residents, that conversation is an afterthought.
City officials argued that Google’s data center met existing zoning requirements, leaving them with no legal basis to deny the project. As construction moves forward, the development is expected to remain at the center of the broader debate over how Michigan communities should prepare for future data center proposals.
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