Solon Township plans meeting to discuss rules for data centers
The Solon Township Planning Commission in Michigan is holding a public hearing to discuss proposed zoning ordinance amendments for data centers. This follows a six-month moratorium enacted in February and community pushback against an unnamed tech company's plans to build a data center. An advocacy group has criticized the proposed regulations for lacking specific provisions on water usage, conflict of interest disclosures, and non-disclosure agreements.
The Solon Township Planning Commission is scheduled to host a public hearing on June 24 to deliberate on proposed regulations for data centers. This initiative involves an amendment to the township's zoning ordinance, specifically crafted to govern the development and operation of data centers.
The push for new regulations comes amidst plans by an unnamed technology company to establish a data center near the freeway within Solon Township, which has elicited significant community opposition. In response to these concerns, the township had previously enacted a six-month moratorium on data center development in February.
Various drafts of the proposed amendment have been circulated. The latest version, according to a township notice, aims to address several aspects of data center integration into the community. However, the advocacy group "Stop Solon Township Data Center" has voiced strong criticism, arguing that the current proposal falls short by not including explicit numeric limits on water usage, mandates for disclosing conflicts of interest, or prohibitions against non-disclosure agreements for township officials.
The group emphasized that a comprehensive ordinance is crucial for safeguarding communities from potential issues such as water table contamination, decreases in property values, and noise pollution. The public meeting will be held at Frost Creek Church, where residents can submit written comments beforehand.