COMMUNITY UPDATE: WE WON A BATTLE—BUT THE FIGHT ISN’T OVER!
We'd like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who signed the petition, shared it with their friends and family, and came out to the Howell Township Planning Commission meeting.
Hundreds of residents came out in force to the September 23 Howell Township Planning Commission meeting, demanding transparency and urging the commission to honor our master plan. The commission listened to hundreds of public comments and the meeting spanned more than 7 hours. This petition was also delivered to the planning commission as a public comment. Because of YOUR efforts, they were able to see the overwhelming disapproval from residents of this data center - and the commission unanimously voted NO on recommending the rezoning for the proposed data center.
That was a MAJOR win— but this is far from over.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The applicant has now asked the township to pause in forwarding the rezoning request to the county (this is just temporary) — but they’re still moving forward with a text amendment to add a broad, developer-written definition of “data center” into our local ordinances. This matters. A lot.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
This matters because letting a corporation define our local ordinances sets a dangerous precedent. Their proposed language is vague and overly broad, potentially opening the door to future uses or expansions that we didn't agree to and can’t control.
The Howell Township Planning Commission already voted to recommend disapproval of this amendment. Now, the Livingston County Planning Commission will weigh in with their own recommendation to the Township Board at their next meeting.
What? Livingston County Planning Commission Meeting
When? Wednesday, October 15 at 6:30 PM
Where? 304 E. Grand River, Howell (2nd floor)
Agenda Item: Z-34-25 – Howell Township Text Amendments, Section 2.02 Definitions
Full Meeting Packet: https://milivcounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/October-PC-Packet-1.pdf
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
It’s our job now to urge them to disapprove this definition by attending the meeting and submitting a written public comment by the end of day October 14.
NOTE: This meeting is NOT about the data center rezoning. Should you choose to submit a public comment, it should be specifically about the text amendment, not generally about data centers or rezoning.
How to Submit a Written Comment (By Tuesday, October 14)
- Email your comment to: Scott Barb – sbarb@livgov.com
- Or visit: https://milivcounty.gov/planning/commission/ and click the EMAIL US button.
Subject Line: Public Comment on Z-34-25: Howell Township Text Amendments, Section 2.02 Definitions
Tips for writing an effective written comment:
- Include your full name and address to demonstrate you are a local resident.
- Clearly state your position on the text amendment Z-34-25.
- Provide a clear reason and cite data or experience, where applicable.
- Thank the commission for their time and consideration.
Let’s make sure our voices continue to be HEARD — submit your written comments by October 14 and show up on October 15. There is strength in numbers and as we remain united, we will continue to have an impact!
Thank you!