Howell Township to discuss data center rules Tuesday
Howell Township’s Planning Commission is scheduled to discuss proposed regulations for data centers, following the township board’s unanimous decision to extend an existing six-month moratorium. Other Livingston County townships are also considering restrictions involving power and water use, noise, vibration and facility size.
The Howell Township Planning Commission will discuss a proposed data center and high-impact land-use ordinance at a meeting Tuesday. The discussion follows the Howell Township Board’s unanimous vote to extend the township’s data center moratorium for six months beyond its Nov. 20 expiration, unless permanent regulations are adopted sooner.
Several nearby communities are pursuing similar measures. Genoa Township is conducting sound testing and developing rules addressing power and water consumption, noise and vibration, while Tyrone Township is considering a 60-megawatt threshold and special-land-use approval requirements. Brighton Township has adopted a six-month moratorium and is examining potential limits on water use, energy consumption and other compliance requirements. In neighboring Washtenaw County, Lyndon Township is preparing to hold a public hearing on proposed regulations for data centers and other high-resource-demand facilities.