Pavilion Township tables data center decision to next meeting

Pavilion Township’s Planning Commission postponed a decision Thursday on whether to add “data center” as a special land use in its I-2 zoning district, after more than 65 residents filled the township hall to oppose the change.

After public comments and commission discussion, Pavilion Township Attorney Robert Thall recommended postponing the decision as there were not available copies of the proposed ordinance change. The city provided copies of the agenda and mistakenly printed out last month’s meeting minutes. 

“We were so disappointed [to hear about the potential data center],” one resident said. “I can’t be assured that it’s going to be safe for my children.”

The resident said she and her family were reconsidering whether to make Pavilion Township their “forever home,” citing what she described as poor land stewardship by township leaders. Others echoed similar concerns, with some threatening to leave the township if a data center moves forward.

Several residents questioned why the township would consider a zoning amendment without a formal proposal from a developer. One urged the commission to wait until a company files a concrete application, arguing that residents deserve transparency.

Under the current ordinance, Pavilion Township’s I-2 zoning district explicitly allows certain industrial and related uses and allows some uses only as special exception permits (for example, telecommunication towers), but does not explicitly include “data center” anywhere in the list of permitted or special uses. Township officials say the amendment is necessary if a data center company is to submit a proposal.

While no official plan has been filed, the real estate firm Franklin Partners contacted Pavilion Township last month about the possibility of a data center, according to a report by MLive. Datacentermap.com, a commercial site that tracks facilities, lists an “N Avenue” project in development, and states that Consumers Energy has “acknowledged the development and expressed readiness.” 

Several Consumers Energy representatives attended Thursday’s hearing but did not address the audience, even after being questioned by residents.

When asked why the township was considering a zoning amendment, Planning Commission Chair Stan Strzalkowski cited a growing national demand for data centers, saying Michigan is no exception.

What’s next
At its next meeting, Pavilion Township Planning Commission will hold another public hearing and decide whether to recommend the zoning amendment to the Township Board. If the board approves, the change would take effect after an advisory review by the Kalamazoo County Planning Commission and publication in a local newspaper. From there, a developer — such as Franklin Partners — would need to apply for site plan review and, because the amendment frames “data center” as a special land use, also seek a special land use permit. Both steps require additional public hearings and votes. Only after those approvals, and subsequent building, environmental, and utility permits, could construction of a data center begin.

The next public hearing on adding “data center” to the township’s I-2 zoning category is scheduled for October 16 at 7 p.m. at Pavilion Township Hall.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.