The planning commissioners of Lyon Township approved an AI data center construction without the people's knowledge nor input. Despite the outrage from the community it effects most, Township leaders have done nothing but brush off concerns, proving they don't value the opinions of the people.

The plan, titled "Project Flex", takes up 1.6 million square feet in South Hill Business Park just south of Grand River Avenue. The Building, despite being in a commercial space, is well within range of many residents of Lyon Township, and will impact their water bills, energy bills, and quality of life with noise pollution. 

The effects of data center noise pollution can be felt up to 2.5 miles away, which many residential communities fall into. The noise produced can impact sleep, mental health, and even physical health in extreme cases. The construction of this data center would put the health of residents at risk. 

Not only that, but it would cause extra financial strain on families living within Lyon Township. AI data centers can pull from residential water sources, causing the people that live nearby to fight the water-guzzling super computers for their tap water and drinking water. 

The same applies to the price of energy in the surrounding area. The companies funding this project can easily outbid any Lyon Township resident for their sufficient amount of power needed to run the intensive processes they run 24 hours a day. 

Lastly, all these factors combine to lower property value of the surrounding area. Meaning the people who currently live in the effected zones will face even harder times trying to move away and escape the living situation forced upon them by this development.

We demand that the Michigan Public Services Commission, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and The Lyon Township Board of Trustees put a stop to this plan, and maintain a direct and clear line of contact about this project and all future AI propositions effecting local residents. 

Read about the impact of data centers on local populations and the environment here:
https://stpp.fordschool.umich.edu/sites/stpp/files/2025-07/stpp-data-centers-2025.pdf
https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-centers-and-water-consumption
https://andthewest.stanford.edu/2025/thirsty-for-power-and-water-ai-crunching-data-centers-sprout-across-the-west/
https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2025/10/02/construction-and-consequences-the-human-impacts-of-artificial-intelligence-data-centers/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhqoTku-HAA

Hear testimonials from those already impacted by data centers here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-8TDOFqkQA

Photo: Wallbridge