Hundreds of neighbors protest Microsoft data center rezoning proposal at Gaines Township public hearing

Hundreds of residents in Gaines Township, Michigan, attended a public hearing at South Christian High School to express strong opposition to Microsoft's plan to rezone over 100 acres of farmland for a new data center. Neighbors, including Molly Knooihuisen and Stephanie Pratt, voiced concerns about potential noise pollution, decreased property values, increased electricity bills, and the loss of agricultural land, along with worries about environmental impacts from air and water discharges. Microsoft, in a statement, reiterated its "community-first commitments," assuring that its data centers would not increase electricity prices, would replenish more water than used, and would boost the local tax base and provide economic benefits without straining local resources. Despite these assurances, residents are urging the township to implement a six-month moratorium on data center developments to allow local leaders more time for thorough review. The Gaines Township Planning Commission will recommend the rezoning to the Board of Trustees, and the proposal will undergo two more readings before a final decision.