Garfield Township Discusses Proposed Data Center and Potential Moratorium
Garfield Township trustees approved a zoning update for food trucks and contracts for a trail and water tank, while also hearing about a proposed small-scale data center. The township is considering a temporary moratorium on data centers and has scheduled a public hearing on July 8 for a general zoning amendment to allow such moratoriums. The proposed data center by Cervenka Development Partners would be low-intensity and utilize existing electricity capacity.
Garfield Township trustees recently approved several measures, including a zoning update for food trucks and contracts for a new universally accessible trail and an $11 million water tank project. Amid these approvals, township officials also heard a proposal for a small-scale data center on Cass Road.
Tom Cervenka of Illinois-based Cervenka Development Partners presented plans for what he described as a "low-intensity, environmentally conscious data center" in Garfield Township. His proposal aims to repurpose an existing industrial site, avoiding large-scale land clearing, and utilize a closed-loop cooling system to minimize water consumption. Cervenka stated that the project, located next to a Traverse City Light & Power (TCLP) substation, would require 20 megawatts of existing capacity, which TCLP confirmed is available and would not impact other customers. TCLP Executive Director Brandie Ekren noted the utility has spoken with Cervenka as a speculative customer and would establish a customized agreement if the project moves forward.
The proposed data center comes as Garfield Township officials are discussing a possible temporary moratorium on data centers to allow for updated zoning rules. A public hearing is scheduled for July 8 regarding a general zoning amendment that would enable the township to enact such moratoriums. If approved, the township would then proceed with a separate process to implement a data center-specific moratorium. Cervenka urged trustees to differentiate between large hyperscale campuses and smaller adaptive reuse projects like his.