VAN BUREN TWP. (WWJ) -- Despite thunderous opposition from local residents. a massive hyperscale data center site plan has been officially approved for Wayne County.
Google's planned data center won two key approvals last week, with Wayne County commissioners overriding a veto of tax breaks and Michigan regulators signing off on electricity contracts.
The process then advanced Wednesday night, when the Van Buren Township Planning Commission voted to approve the site plan for the Project Cannoli data center.
Adam Kramer, the head of data centers for the developer, showed those in attendance a rendering as he laid out what the 282-acre facility -- off east Haggerty near the I-94 Service Drive -- will look like.
"Just to give you an overview of the site here, you can see the data center halls here, as well as the overall building footprint. But I do want to remind that you also see a lot of green. Almost 50% of the site will remain undeveloped; 25% of the site will be put into a permanent conservation easement."
Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) earlier noted that the project permanently impacts 13.55 acres of wetlands, fills 573 linear feet of streams, and requires six stream culverts.
The development group Panattoni now may move forward with development issues such as utility installation and site improvements.
Kramer said that they've entered into an agreement with the the township to make construction fully local.
"We've held, recently held a local job fair, with Walbridge, our general contractor who's in the room with us today," Kramer said, "along with member of the skilled trades, and local contractors; many of whom are here today and who have already been awarded contracts on this project. In fact, $2 billion of contracts have been awarded to Wayne County businesses, including vendor that are here in Van Buren Township, and in Belleville."
To make this happen, the commission voted against the majority of residents who don't want the data center in the area.
Residents have been pushing back for months, voicing concerns about pollution, noise, property values, and increasing rates.
Planning commission members argue that it's their job only their to verify whether construction is in line with the law, not to worry about whether residents want this development.
