Data center concerns have Lenox Township residents demanding transparency
Residents in Lenox Township, Michigan, are actively opposing potential data center developments and demanding transparency from their local government. Concerns are high regarding the impact on their rural community, despite the township supervisor denying formal applications or support for a project. The situation highlights a broader issue of community skepticism toward data center expansion in rural areas.
Residents of Lenox Township in northern Macomb County, Michigan, are voicing strong opposition to potential data center developments and demanding transparency from their local leaders. The sentiment, echoed by "No data centers" signs across the community, follows similar concerns raised in nearby Washington Township, reflecting a growing trend in rural Michigan and across the country.
Ariana Welch, a fifth-generation Lenox Township resident, expressed her commitment to protecting her community, where families have invested their lives and homes. Residents are particularly concerned about a hyperscale data center campus in the I-94 development district, spanning from 26 Mile Road to 28 Mile Road.
Despite the clear public sentiment, residents report difficulty in getting answers from officials. Lenox Township Supervisor Anthony Reed Jr. declined an interview but provided written statements. Controversial emails, brought to light by an open records request from New Haven village president Brian Meissner (acting as a concerned citizen), revealed early discussions. One email from January 2026 showed a property owner in the I-94 district was approached by a "large data center developer" interested in meeting with the township. Another email indicated a real estate developer sending drafted letters of support for a proposed data center to Supervisor Reeder and Deputy Supervisor Mark Rabideau.
However, Supervisor Reeder maintains that the township never sent the letter of support and has had no direct contact with data center companies regarding the proposed project. He stated via email that he personally does not support bringing a data center to Lenox Township. The supervisor's office also posted on social media, clarifying that no company had submitted any application, site plan, zoning request, or development plan for a data center, nor had such a project been discussed or endorsed by the township. Simultaneously, an anonymous website, lennoxdatacenter.com, promoting data centers as a smart investment, and flyers from the Michigan Deserves Better political group, have emerged, though the township denies any involvement with the website.