VBT data center due at planning commission in Feb.

At the end of the almost four-hour Jan. 14 regular meeting of the Van Buren Township Planning Commission, it was announced that the proposed data center would be on the Feb. 11 agenda.
The data center is proposed for 280 acres east of Haggerty Road, north of the I-94 North Service Drive, west of Hannan Road and north to I-275.
Ron Akers, director of municipal services, said if the developers follow through with the paperwork, the commission will consider specific plans for the data center.
Director Akers said DTE will be there, along with the township attorney, the fire marshal, and Panattoni, the developers.
When commissioners said they wanted to be sure the public got all the information that will be presented at the meeting, Akers said he intends to have everything posted on the Van Buren Township website by Feb. 4, a full week before the meeting so the public can study the plans.
Akers said also planned for the Feb. 11 meeting is a public hearing on a proposed EL carwash at Belleville Road and Westlake Blvd., the final site plan for the Stellantis warehouse construction on Ecorse at Denton roads, and information on cul de sac lanes.
In other business at the meeting which started just after 5:30 p.m. and ended at 9:15 p.m., the commission:
• Heard more than an hour of public comment against the proposed data center, as 24 people got up to speak. Towards the end, those who had already spoken got up to add comments;
• Held a public hearing on Mixed Residential Overlay District (MROD) and Mixed Residential District (MRD) zoning text amendments at which one person spoke. There was a long discussion later on how the zonings would work and that a developer would have to get a rezoning to use them. The commission recommended some editing of the MRD amendment. The commission voted unanimously to recommend the text amendments to the township board with the edits by township planning consultant Vidya Krishnan of McKenna Associates;
• Approved one year of temporary land use for National RV to set up an office trailer at 44700 N. I-94 Service Dr. following the Nov. 29 fire. To continue their state certificate they need an office. Akers said half of the building was completely destroyed and the entire building will be demolished. It will take four and a half weeks to demolish the building and that is expected to start this week. A few vehicles were damaged inside the building, but they were removed before Christmas. The drawings for the new building should be ready by the end of April and the schedule will depend on what Wayne County says, Akers reported. No one was present at the meeting from the dealership and the trailer is already in place at the site;
• Approved final site plan for the 2,548-square-foot addition to the existing Kirkridge Park Cooperative clubhouse facility and demolition and reconstruction of a maintenance garage at 8205 Kirkridge Dr. A rain garden is part of the plans;
• Discussed a proposed hotel ordinance amendment and took no action pending more information from the staff. Akers said the amendment was recommended by the township’s prosecuting attorney and involved allowing no guests to stay more than 30 days a calendar year unless kitchen facilities are provided. Akers said it had to do with safety and health issues when guest use hot plates. Citations would be issued to hotel owners, Akers said. Commissioner Bernie Grant said he doesn’t understand the intent, unless it is that they don’t want homeless to stay there. It’s a touchy subject and the wording needs to be looked at. Commissioner Jackson Pahle said this is the wrong time for this with housing not available. He said it’s up to the owner to tell people to leave, if he wants. Commissioner Jeff Jahr agreed the amendment wasn’t well written and, “I can’t understand it… What are kitchen facilities? … It’s a stupid law. It needs work… I wouldn’t feel good recommending this”;
• Heard resident Ashley Shukait speak on the subject of housing under public comment. She works with finding help for the unhoused community and she said there are no open shelters in Wayne County and no waitlists. She said there is a severe housing crisis. She said a former police chief demanded rosters from the hotel owners and 16 people were evicted for staying too long. She said she is horrified at the conditions of shelters in Wayne County and she would never take her children there. “It’s a hotel problem, a management issue.” Shukait said. “I can’t get an intake in 30 days.” She said they had a Keystone student who had to be sent to a shelter in Inkster. She said nothing like this is enforced anywhere else. Commissioner Jahr asked the staff to compare this ordinance to surrounding communities. “I would us to address it well,” he said;
• Heard Jahr announce the Tri-Community Planning Commissioners from Van Buren, Sumpter, and Belleville will meet at 5 p.m., Jan. 29, at the Belleville High School Commons (cafeteria). The public is welcome to attend to hear discussions on issues of mutual interest.
• Heard commissioner Pahle ask for a clarification to be put in the minutes about the vote in October 2024 was that a data center could be a use of the site, but the planning commission was not told of the size of such a center. This vote should not be considered approval of a data center for this site.
The meeting delayed starting for seven minutes as chairman Cullin was en route to the meeting and was delayed by the snowstorm from his trip back from Bloomfield Hills. Commissioner Peter Creal was absent and excused from the meeting.