County planners reject controversial AI data center proposed near Howell

HOWELL, MI Livingston County planners rejected a proposal for a massive $1 billion data center campus for an undisclosed tech giant to power artificial intelligence and other computing technologies. The county Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday, Nov. 19 to recommend the Howell Township Board deny rezoning more than 1, 000 acres in the historically rural community north of Ann Arbor. The commissioners’ unanimous vote comes a day before a large crowd of concerned residents are expected to pack Howell High School’s auditorium for the township board’s meeting, which is set for 6: 30 p. m. Thursday, Nov. 20. Township officials are expected to consider putting a moratorium in place to pause for six months any consideration or approval of data centers, as they further investigate whether there is a need for local regulations. The project continued to face pushback from many residents at Wednesday’s county planning meeting, where local residents shared concerns and frustrations. The crowd gave county planners a standing ovation for recommending the rezoning be denied. County planners also voted unanimously to recommend the Howell Township board deny a proposal to add a definition for data processing centers to the local zoning ordinance. Data center developer Randee, LLC, with its consulting firm Stantec Consulting Michigan, is working on behalf of a U. S.-founded and based Fortune 100 technology company, which they have not identified. Some residents are calling for more transparency, questioning why the tech giant behind the project has not been disclosed to the public. Several residents took issue with “tech billionaires” looking to take up land in Michigan’s rural communities. The data center developers are asking the township to conditionally rezone land north and south of Grand River Avenue to research and technology uses on the condition it would only be used for a data center. The land in question is south of Marr Road and north of Warner Road, and east of Owosso Road and west of Fleming Road. The properties are currently zoned for agricultural, single-family residential, and neighborhood service commercial uses. The firm is also eyeing adjacent land in neighboring Handy Township, which could bring the total project area closer to 1, 700 acres. Opponents are concerned about data centers’ impacts on water resources and electricity rates, and many in the crowd decried the potential loss of the area’s rural character and desire to preserve farmland. Howell resident Lyle Devine doubts that the data center would not negatively impact drinking water for his family. “Can you tell me for sure the water will be safe (to drink) for my kids?” Devine said. Gary Burkhart spoke about how there are unused or underutilized industrial sites in Michigan that are ready for redevelopment. “Why would we need to rezone anymore of our farmland?” Burkhart said. Other residents worry about the rise of artificial intelligence itself, expressing fears that many jobs will be lost. The rezoning request “is not consistent with the overall goals, objectives, and future land use intentions of the Howell Township Master Plan,” Scott Barb, the county’s planning director, said. Barb determined the data center proposal is also not consistent with the county’s vision, which calls for the preservation of agricultural lands. The developers have promised the data center would generate tax revenue and jobs and there would be opportunities to fund schools, infrastructure projects and community services. Detroit attorney Michael Vogt, who represents the data center developers, told the crowd they have heard people’s concerns, and they have offered restrictions and conditions that go beyond what local communities normally require. “We heard concerns about potential infrastructure improvements,” Vogt said. He said the developers have offered to reimburse all costs to the township for infrastructure, including water and electricity, roads and emergency services. Data center buildings would take up no more than 50% of the site, Vogt said. Buildings would be setback no less than 400 feet around the entire site. The developers have also promised to donate about 125 acres for open space conservation or parkland. He also said the developers support Howell Township approving a moratorium, because it would give the township time to consider establishing local regulations. Concerns over water usage are “incredibly serious,” he said. The developers are investigating the feasibility of using “dry cooling technology” to minimize water usage. The initial ask was for the data center to use as much as 1 million gallons of water a day. However, actual water usage would depend on what type of cooling system they pursue. The developers would also cover the cost if nearby residential wells ran dry. “We know that’s not going to happen, and put your money where your mouth is,” Vogt said. In addition, DTE Energy has indicated it will have capacity to power the proposed data center, though the exact power requirements have not yet been specified. The proposed data center also faced opposition from the Howell Township Planning Commission, which voted unanimously Tuesday, Sept. 23, to recommend the township board deny the rezoning and also deny a proposal to add a definition of data centers to the local zoning ordinance. They determined the data center proposal does not conform with the township’s master plan and vision for agricultural preservation.
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/11/county-planners-reject-controversial-ai-data-center-proposed-near-howell.html