In split vote, Middleton Twp. Trustees put the brakes on Meta zoning request for more parking lots
Middleton Township Trustees voted to deny Meta's request to rezone 39.265 acres for additional data center parking lots. The decision followed strong opposition from residents concerned about the sprawling complex's growth, traffic, noise, and light pollution. This marks a rare victory for local residents against the ongoing expansion.
Middleton Township Trustees, in a split 2-1 vote, denied Meta's latest zoning request for its data center complex. The company sought to rezone an additional 39.265 acres from agricultural to M-1 light industrial to accommodate more parking for over 1,000 construction workers.
Meta's attorney, Chris Ingram, argued that the rezoning was a legal duty based on the county's comprehensive plan for economic development and crucial for the project's progression. He warned that denying the request would necessitate shuttling workers from an off-site location, leading to delays and increased traffic congestion.
However, a room full of residents strongly opposed the request. Speakers like Jim Demond and Tenesha Ulrich asserted that townships are not bound by county comprehensive plans. They voiced concerns about traffic, noise, and light pollution, and criticized the continuous expansion of the data center, which has grown significantly from its original 288 acres. Residents also argued that temporary parking did not qualify as economic development.
While representatives from the Otsego Local School District spoke in favor of the rezoning, citing potential long-term financial benefits for the district, residents expressed frustration, feeling "blindsided" by the project's scale and arguing that economic development should not come at the cost of their rural community's character.