VBT planners approve first step for data center on 5-2 vote

After almost five hours of discussion in front of a roomful of visitors at its Feb. 11 regular meeting, the Van Buren Township Planning Commission approved, on a 5-2 vote, the request for a preliminary site plan for the Project Cannoli Data Center.
The applicant was PDC AK LPIC, LLC c/o Panattoni Development Co., which presented more than an hour’s worth of information on the 282.2-acre proposal north of the I-94 Service Dr. between Haggerty and Hannan roads and south of Wayne County Community College and I-275.
Voting no on approval were commissioners Jackson Pahle, who has been against the data center from the start, and Bernard Grant who wanted to postpone a decision until the next meeting, so they could get more information. He was especially concerned about what the substation would look like on the seven acres set aside for it. “It could be unsightly,” he said.
Director of municipal services Ron Akers said the substation is a big question and it has to go through its own site plan and is not a part of the site plan before them.
Although the planning commission usually has the last word on a site plan, commissioner Jeff Jahr included in his motion to approve, the stipulation that the township board be directed to approve a development agreement to address details. He said these would include long-term monitoring of the sound and the impact of wet weather situations, to limit impact on the community.
The motion also included stipulations from reports of the commission’s planning consultant, engineering consultant, and fire department. The motion approved reducing the number of parking spaces required, approving an eight-foot security fence, and not accepting a proposal to put money aside for future sidewalks.
Grant said he wanted to postpone the decision until March because, “Once its past preliminary, it’s a done deal … a massive development agreement.”
After the preliminary site plan approval, the next step is the detailed, engineering documents that are presented for final site plan approval by the commission.
Commission chairman Brian Cullin said if it’s postponed, another development could move in there.
Jahr said the commission has had a lot of public input and the applicant has addressed concerns. He said the commission was asked to assess technical compliance with the ordinance and, “They are in compliance.”
He said the commission is moving past the preliminary stage and this is not the final approval.
“There were lots of questions asked and I believe the board should have a development agreement,” he said.
Jahr said he values Grant’s opinion but, “We can’t table because you want to delay it. I want to get this moved to the township board.”
During the information from the developer, Panattoni said it is the largest private developer in the world and this project will use Michigan contractors, including civil engineer Kimley-Horn, DTE, Walbridge general contractor, Syskon engineers.
Trey Brice, with a law firm in Detroit, spoke twice during the meeting stating that what they want to build are all permitted uses by right under the ordinance, with no variances requested. He said it meets all the requirements and the plans are evolving as they meet with the county, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and other authorities.
Later he said the project is compliant and exceeded requirements. “State law says the project should be approved,” he said, adding, “It will bring jobs and will be the largest taxpayer in the township.”
It was noted that the end user of the data center will be revealed before the final site plan approval and a non-disclosure agreement with the township keeps that business information private for now. It will not be crypto mining, said Adam Kramer of Panattoni.
Josh Capps of Panattoni said the water for the data center will come from the Great Lakes Water Authority and the data center will pay Van Buren Township water rates. A 20’ water line will be built by the township to the development site.
Commissioner Medina Atchinson said she visited Panattoni’s data center in New Albany, OH and found since it was built in 2019, there has been just one complaint and that problem was taken care of.
She said she watches Charles Payne and he said when a community says no to a data center, it’s committing community suicide. She asked for the down side to a data center coming to the township and Kramer said there is a lower job count of about 60 for the center. Construction will take a lot of workers, however, and Kramer pointed out the audience contained representatives from many local contractors, who were there to support the project.
Plans call for construction of three data processing and computer center buildings, one administrative office building and one network service building.
Thirteen people got up to speak in the public comment part of the meeting, which started at 9:17 p.m. Four were in favor and the rest voiced concerns on transparency, well water, noise, eagles nest, electricity, housing values, rules for decommissioning, and moratorium.
After the vote was taken, the orderly crowd vacated the meeting room at 10:15 p.m. and the meeting then continued.
Commissioner Pahle said he wanted to make a motion to reconsider a vote the commission had taken on the non-residential PUD (planned unit development) ordinance at a previous meeting. It had been unanimously approved and he had seconded the motion to approve. The ordinance was sent on to the township board for approval.
Pahle said residents have concerns that the PUD was put in place to clear the way for the data center. He said if they revote and go through it again, the residents will hear the details.
Director Akers said the ordinance can be brought up at a future meeting. The commission has the ability to look at it again.
Vidna Krishnan of McKenna Associates said the ordinance doesn’t involve uses and didn’t have anything to do with a data center.
Chairman Cullin said the commission had a public hearing on this. He said the commission always asks the public to become involved.
Commissioner Peter Creal, who was on the subcommittee that worked on the ordinance, said they came up with a plan and, “We followed the process.”
“I want to accommodate the public,” Pahle insisted.
Krishnan said she could write out the details so the public can study them.
“I want to make a motion,” Pahle persisted.
Creal said two public hearings were held. He said an educational process could be used to show what is in the ordinance.
“I beg people to come to meetings,” Atchinson said.
“We didn’t make it for a developer,” said Jahr, who also was on the subcommittee.
Pahle made a motion to reconsider the vote on non-residential PUDs. There was no second to the motion.
Creal suggested composing FAQs (frequently asked questions) and their answers.
“You can’t take back an action,” Krishnan said.
“We sent it to the board,” said Treasurer Sharry Budd who sits on the commission. “No.”
“You cannot reconsider a vote,” Krishnan insisted. “You tell us what you want to change. I’ll be glad to discuss it at a future meeting, line by line.”
Pahle withdrew the motion. He said it could be discussed at a future meeting.
“Are you going to do this with every ordinance?” Budd asked. “Someone calls you and you make a motion to reconsider?”
The meeting, which started at 5:30 p.m., adjourned at 10:37 p.m.
Before the meeting began, there was a handful of demonstrators with signs and petitions outside the front door of township hall. Three television cameras and crews were set up in the meeting room and broadcast reports thereafter.