Ypsilanti Township issues land-use moratorium impacting data centers
Ypsilanti Township has enacted a six-month land-use moratorium on major electric utility facilities, directly impacting a proposed data center by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The decision allows the township to develop new ordinances regulating infrastructure for such projects, amidst strong community and leadership opposition citing environmental and zoning concerns. This follows an earlier water and sewage moratorium by the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority.
The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved a six-month land-use moratorium on major electric utility infrastructure, directly affecting a planned research data center by the University of Michigan (U-M) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The project, slated for Textile and Bridge roads, includes an electrical substation to be built in partnership with DTE Energy. Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo stated the moratorium will allow the township to develop and adopt ordinances to regulate such infrastructure.
Township leaders and residents have expressed strong opposition to the U-M/LANL facility, particularly due to its proximity to South Hydro Park and the Huron River, raising environmental concerns. The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority had previously issued its own 12-month moratorium in April on water and sewage services for data centers. Although U-M, as a public institution, is exempt from local zoning laws, township attorney Doug Winters noted that DTE Energy, a publicly traded corporation, must comply with township ordinances.