Wixom moves forward with data center restrictions as lawsuit looms

The City of Wixom, Michigan, is facing a federal lawsuit from developer Wixom Industrial One, LLC, operating under Sansone Group, after the city's council members voted to enact new data center restrictions in their zoning ordinance. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges that the city's six-month moratorium on data center development, approved earlier this year, was "illegal" and intended to "permanently kill" Wixom One's proposed Midwinds Park data center.

Despite the impending lawsuit, Wixom city officials proceeded with passing permanent data center restrictions on August 26, which include a 1,500-foot setback from residential areas, parks, and K-12 schools, a prohibition on using well water, and a requirement for developers to conduct 48-hour sound studies. These new rules, set to go into effect by September 6, replace the moratorium, ending it approximately two and a half weeks before its scheduled expiration. The developer claims to have invested significantly in the Midwinds Park project, which would include three buildings totaling 519,400 square feet, and argues that data processing centers are permitted in the city's light industrial district. Their application for site plan review, submitted during the moratorium, was rejected.

City council members, including Mayor Patrick Beagle, defended the 1,500-foot setback as a legally defensible measure, despite some members advocating for a half-mile distance. Roughly 100 residents attended the meeting, urging the council to strengthen the ordinance and vigorously fight the developer's lawsuit. Mayor Beagle expressed the council's desire to create the strongest possible ordinance that would withstand legal challenges.