The University of Michigan just confirmed it will build a $1.2 billion computing center in Ypsilanti Township, next to the Huron River, despite a year of local opposition.

The site sits in one of Washtenaw County's lower-income areas, where average income is about $36,000 a year, well below the county's $53,000 average. Township leaders say U-M kept them in the dark on basic details and that they learned of the final decision by text message minutes before it went public.

The project is tied to a partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory, which conducts national security research. U-M says the center will not store or handle nuclear materials, but many residents remain uneasy about what is happening so close to their homes and water supply.

Township Attorney Doug Winters said officials "are going to fight" the decision. Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo called it "offensive, disgusting and gross to our community," according to Bridge Michigan.

The University of Michigan Board of Regents and President Domenico Grasso can still pause this project and commit to real answers before construction begins. Residents deserve a say in what gets built next to their homes and river, not a done deal announced by text.

Sign the petition telling the University of Michigan to stop the Ypsilanti computing center, before more decisions get made without the community's voice.