Wixom City Council Denies Request for Waiver to Data Center Moratorium
The Wixom City Council unanimously denied a developer's request for a waiver to the city's data center moratorium after a four-hour meeting. Residents praised the council's decision, urging them to finish the ordinance and consider extending the moratorium. This denial prevents Wimom Industrial One, LLC from moving forward with its proposed data center at this time.
The Wixom City Council convened a marathon meeting on Tuesday night to discuss a developer's request for a waiver to the city's data center moratorium. After four hours of deliberation, Councilman Peter Behrmann moved to deny the waiver, citing health and safety concerns for residents, a motion which the council unanimously approved around 11:30 PM.
The developer, Wimom Industrial One, LLC, had petitioned for the waiver to proceed with a data center project at 30625 S. Wixom Road, which they described as a "Tesla versus Mack truck" version, contrasting it with an "outdated" facility in Dowagiac. However, the contractor failed to provide an example when pressed to illustrate his vision of a "Tesla" data center, drawing negative reactions from council members and residents.
Residents who remained for the late-night decision praised the council for upholding the moratorium and encouraged its extension to allow for a comprehensive ordinance to be completed. This decision by Wixom follows the withdrawal of an application by one of three developers involved in Lyon Township's proposed Project Flex data center, with plans for a new submission.