VBT board approves sanitary, water line plans for data center

By Emily Flesch
Special Writer
At its regular meeting on June 16, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved two separate proposals from Fishbeck Engineering for the Panattoni Data Center Property, authorizing the firm to oversee plans for “sanitary sewer configurations” and “services to supply water.”
These plans include the construction of a 24-inch watermain and Great Lakes Water Authority connection to the property, as well as sanitary sewer lines from the property line to the main connection. As per the development agreement, the developer will be covering all costs up front and Van Buren Township will retain ownership following construction.
This decision came despite local friction, including a written public comment communication received just before the meeting at 5:04 p.m. signed by 50 individuals identified as “residents, some neighboring residents and some concerned citizens” asking the board to “refrain from a vote regarding the data center property.”
While the board’s vote focused on infrastructure, those making public comments went much broader, demanding greater transparency regarding how bids are vetted and approved and expressing frustration that citizens have not had the opportunity to meet with Google representatives directly.
In other business at the June 16 meeting, the board:
• Approved a resolution entering into a marketing agreement with the HomeServe insurance program, which provides water and sewer coverage to township residents if an emergency occurs, at a cost of $5.99 a month for internal water lines and $8.49 a month for external sewer lines. Following the board’s approval, HomeServe will mail letters notifying residents of the program and begin interviewing local contractors wishing to participate;
• Approved a resolution to authorize the township supervisor to sign a participation agreement with Courts and Law Enforcement Information System (CLEMIS) and Clerk Leon Wright to authorize the approval, which is necessary as the managing authority has changed from Oakland County to the new CLEMIS Authority. Police Chief Jason Wright assured the board that CLEMIS has been used by the township for many years and this agreement will not change any daily operations;
• Approved a resolution for the maintenance of a stormwater management system for Clover Communities at 8470 Belleville Road;
• Approved the $48,400 purchase of a new 2026 Ford F-150 pickup truck from Atchinson Ford to replace an aging 2010 F-150 currently in use by the Water and Sewer Department;
• Approved the selection of All Star Power Excavation LLC for construction of Section I of the Iron Belle Trail, which will run east from Riggs Park down E. Huron River Drive to the railroad tracks and connect with Section J, forming a completed pathway to the Metroparks. The projected cost is $423,597 with an additional contract cap of $450,000 to cover contingencies funded by the remainder of the $1.8 million State of Michigan Community Enhancement Grant received in 2023;
• Heard and approved a walk-on motion to add an accountant position in the Clerk’s Office with a starting salary of $75,000 annually;
• Heard a presentation from Recreation Director Nicole Gerhart recognizing July as Parks and Recreation Month and announcing the “Bring-A-Free-Friend” program, which will give Van Buren Community Center members one free guest pass during the month of July;
• Heard an update from Police Chief Wright that a judge has ordered the drift racetrack owned by Dustin Lee-Delano McAllister at 44336 Robson Rd. to be removed by August, though an exact date was not given;
• Announced that weed treatments in Belleville Lake have begun, a process which may take “many years” as weeds must be removed prior to lily pad removal to prevent future weed reproduction;
• Announced that the state is in the final approval process of a 15-year infrastructure package which will provide large-scale, state-funded allocations to Van Buren, to begin road, sewer, and water funds that should positively affect every road in the township with no increase to taxes;
• Heard supervisor McNamara announce that the Teen Summer Work Program will begin next month with about 20 participants helping seniors with yard work and helping them stay in their homes, among other community benefit programs, through a grant from the Detroit-Wayne Integrated Health Network; and
• Heard supervisor McNamara say he looked into a comment by a resident at an earlier meeting that said the township had a published rule to offer five minutes of public comment, plus a three-minute rebuttal. McNamara said a few years earlier, the township board passed a code of conduct which limited public comments to three minutes, with a minute and a half rebuttal. The five minutes had been the rule before that and the planning commission did not officially change its comment time, so its limit still should be five minutes, plus three. Planning commissioners were unaware of this and kept the limit to three in its last meeting. He apologized for not knowing this.;
The board completed its agenda in one hour and 51 minutes. Trustee Kevin Martin was absent and excused.