Report on Planning Commission Meeting – 1/28
It was a great turnout at the meeting last night, although I’ve had at least a few people report that they could not join the meeting because there was no available parking; the church may be able to hold 400 people, but the parking lot can not, and it would be nice if the Board found a better solution for the other meetings.
After going through officer elections, the Planning Commission then approved a 90-day moratorium, which now needs to be passed by the main Township Board. They should be voting on the moratorium at the next Board Meeting on February 9th.
The floor was opened to public comments, which you can watch in the video above, but a rough summary of the main points by people:
- lots of comments about preserving farmland and keeping the overall feel of the community as it is
- concerns about noise
- concerns about water usage
- concerns about electricity prices going up
- concerns about the wildlife
- concerns about contaminates and PFAS
- several people said that they wanted to see full environmental impact assessments/studies done, especially in regards to noise, water consumption, energy usage, etc.
- one person noted that a lot of the reason we have so many data centers pushing their way into communities is because the Governor and state reps are allowing this and/or actively pushing for it. Speak to your reps!
- some expressed concern about the traffic on 17th if this goes through, and how it may cause more accidents and safety issues
- do we have suitable emergency services to cover the possible issues that may be caused during construction and use of the data center?
- some people brought up the master plan wording, and how the data center goes against what is laid out in that plan;
- one woman asked how the board can tell residents they can’t do basic zoning requests and yet the board is looking to allow a billion dollar polluter into our community.
- one person expressed the idea that there are better places to put a data center that won’t affect the community
- someone pointed out that AI is not panning out, e.g. making money, and it’s taking our jobs. Others noted that if AI crashes, we’ll be stuck with a building that serves no purpose, and that it’s not a bet that the township should make.
- security issues were brought up – could having a data center like this make our community a target?
- some expressed concerns about property values – “who will want to buy a homes near a data center?”
- “Sometimes it’s not about the money, it’s about doing what’s right!” got a heavy round of applause
- The Planning Commission was asked if “this is the legacy [they] want to leave Solon Township?”
- some people asked if this is something that could be voted on (no answer from Planning Commission)
- Another person recommended that we “use good Godly wisdom to make this decision, not AI.”
- Some people expressed a desire for more communication from the Board about this; feels like this data center thing came out of nowhere. We need more transparency.
- One person stated that a 90-day moratorium is not enough. The board took a full year moratorium to decide on the zoning for a housing development for Sable properties, and even extended that another 6 months. Why is this moratorium for such a serious issue so much shorter?
- We should be thinking about the lives of the people living right next to it (like Cedarfield)
- “We don’t want it, period!”
My Personal Take-Aways
These are just my own thoughts, so take them for what it’s worth.
- I don’t understand why there isn’t more active communication and discussion going on with the PC & Board towards the general public. They keep saying they won’t have anything to discuss or tell us until a proposal comes across their desk, but Algoma Township held a meeting last week where they discussed this specific data center in depth, had lawyers to explain the legal aspects, and seem to be much more willing to share information and communicate with their residents.
- A 90-day moratorium is far too short of time for full assessments of the impact of this data center. We currently have a petition going asking for a 9-12 month moratorium to give the residents and Board enough time to fully assess whether this is the right choice for our community. We’ll be announcing signing locations as we make them available.
- In my view, much of the community’s frustration seems to come from what feels like limited communication and visible engagement from the Township Board. The Planning Commission’s and Board’s cautious or noncommittal responses can come across as uncertain, and some residents understandably read that uncertainty as possible support for the data center proposal. I think clearer, more direct communication about priorities and direction – despite the lack of a current proposal – would help reduce confusion.
For comparison, leaders in nearby Nelson Township have taken a more direct public position while considering a moratorium: “We are not in favor of data centers here in our rural community; it does not fit our master plan,” said Robyn Britton, Nelson Township Supervisor. Personally, I would welcome that same level of clarity and leadership here in Solon Township.